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/journals, diaries, and letters written
by women on the oregon trail 1836-1865/

BARBARA MACPHERSON BURGESS
B. A., Colorado College, 1959

A MASTER'S THESIS

submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Manhattan, Kansas

1984

Approved by:

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Major Professor
Copyright 1984 by Barbara MacPherson Burgess

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A115D2 115454
<g, £--| CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY 3

Chapter

I. THE JOURNALS, DIARIES, AND LETTERS 15

Appearance
Format
Style
Purpose

II. THE WOMEN'S OBSERVATIONS 33

Children

Other Emigrants

Landmarks

Fur Traders

Indians

Mormons

III. THE WOMEN'S TRAIL EXPERIENCE 93

Preparations

Food and Beverage

Health

Lifestyle

Clothing

Leisure

Religion

BIBLIOGRAPHY 170

ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES

Figure

1. Our Camp, drawing by Mary Powers 25

2. Sketch of Indian by Lodisa Frizzell 81

3. Descending the Blue Mountains, the Whitman-Spalding Party

by M. Loy Wagoner 133

Table
1. List of Writers of the Journals, Diaries, and Letters 16-18

INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY

"We are so near encountering the difficulties of an unheard of journey for
females." --Narcissa Whitman

"About noon we hailed the Columbia for the first time."-- Esther Hanna

"Ho for California." — Helen Carpenter

"As I sit here in the shade of our prairie schooner with this blank book
ready to record the event of this our first day on the road, the thought
comes to me; Why are we here? Why have we left home, friends, relatives,
associates, and loved ones.?'--Sarah Herndon

There never was any debate of whether men could make the 2,000 mile
overland trip from the Missouri River to the West Coast. They just did it-
first using a combination of river travel and overland trails and then
travelling all the way on the overland trail that would become a highway to
Oregon and California.

For women, making the trip was a different matter. At first in the early
19th century no one seemed to care whether or not American women could safely
travel across the western frontier. It was accepted that Indian women could
do it, and many had heard about the Indian woman Sacajeawea on the Lewis and
Clark expedition. But Indian women and white women were hardly alike in the
minds of 19th century Americans.

Before 1830 wagons had never been taken across the Rocky Mountains,
and some believed women needed to ride in wagons to travel to the West Coast.
Then in 1830 the fur trading expedition led by William Sublette took the first
wagons loaded with trade goods to the fur- traders' rendezvous in the Wind
River Mountains (Wyoming). On April 10 William Sublette's company of 81
mounted men and "a caravan of ten wagons drawn by five mules each, and two
dearborns drawn by one mule each" left St. Louis, crossed the Plains and
the Rocky Mountains and reached the rendezvous. On October 11th the same
caravan returned to St. Louis loaded with furs and completed the first
successful round trip with wagons into the Rocky Mountains.

6
In a letter to the United States Secretary of War, William Sublette,

Jedediah Smith and David Jackson wrote, "This is the first time the wagons

ever went to the Rocky Mountains; and the ease and safety with which it was

done prove the facility of communicating over land with the Pacific Ocean."

This letter was read to Congress and entered in the Congressional Record

as Document 39 by the 21st United States Congress. Newspapers mentioned

this historic overland trip to the Rocky Mountains by wagons, but it took

almost six more years before the real importance of this event was noticed.

"Wherever a wagon can go, a woman can go " was an idea suggested by
Marcus Whitman in the journal which he kept on his exploring tour of the
West in 1835. He reasoned that women could ride in the wagons whenever
they became tired of riding horseback.

There were skeptics who did not believe that a white woman could ever
make the trip. W. J. Snelling wrote an article in the New England Magazine
in February 1832 in which he said, "Only parties of men could undergo the
vicissitudes of the journey, none who ever made the trip would assert that
a woman could have accompanied them." George Cat! in, who had been on the
plains, agreed and told the missionaries who were considering sending women to
Oregon that he would not take a "white female into that country for the
whole continent of America."

Two women ended the debate and settled the argument in 1836 when they
rode horseback, side-saddli in the polite custom of the day, most of the
1900 miles from the Missouri frontier to Fort Walla Walla (Washington). This
missionary party took a wagon with them most of the way for the convenience of
the women, Narcissa Whitman described her trip as "an unheard-of journey
for females." Narcissa and Eliza Spalding were travelling with their husbands
in the fur company's caravan to the rendezvous in the present state of

7
Wyoming and then were conducted from the rendezvous to the future mission

site near Walla Walla, Washington by a delegation of mission personnel and

indians.

Both Narcissa and Eliza wrote letters to their families in the East
describing their trip, and both kept journals of their experiences on the
trail. The arrival of these two women on the west coast frontier
was convincing proof that women could cross the frontier to the west coast.
Two years later four more missionary women made the same trip and joined
the first party at the Whitman mission. All four wrote letters home
describing parts of their trip, and three of the women kept daily journals
on the trai 1 .

Men no longer debated whether women could make the trip; instead
the topic of discussion was whether women should make the trip. On the pages
of the New York Daily Tribune Horace Greeley argued in 1843, "It is palpable
homicide to tempt to send women and children over this thousand miles of
precipice and volcanic sterility to Oregon." Other journalists continued
the debate. The St. Joseph Gazette suggested that families should remain
at home and not risk their lives on the Plains. Working men "accustomed to
hard work and hard fare would do well but for all others at this time, we
think it folly in the extreme."

On the other side pro-emigration journalists pointed to these six

missionary women living in Washington as proof of the safety of the trip

for women. The editor of the Oregon 1 an and Indian Advocate wrote in the

January 1839 issue,

Six white women (the ladies of the missionaries of ABCFM) have already
crossed the prairies to Oregon; not with a company of emigrants,
who travelled leisurely, and regarded comfort equally with time; but
with a caravan of traders, who travel as fast as the strength of their
horses will permit, and know no day of rest; and who are wicked and
licentious a set of fellows as ever caroused over the midnight bowl.
With such companions did these ladies and their husbands made the

passage of the Mountains, and we are assured by their own testimony
that they were in better health and spirits at the end than at the
beginning of their journey, having found it extremely pleasant,
notwithstanding the circumstances named. This shows, we think, the
feasibility of this route for ladies, and even children.

The importance of this trip made by these missionary women and the
records of the trip which they sent back home to friends and family should
not be overlooked. Without Narcissa and Eliza and the other four women,
the great Oregon and California emigrations may not have occurred or
at least may have been delayed. Men had travelled west, but without the women
and children there would not have been large numbers of permanent
settlements started and new farms staked out. Narcissa and Eliza opened the
door to emigration by families; they accomplished this by making the
journey and then telling others about their experience.

Men could have continued to debate the question of women journeying
to the west coast for one, two, or three more decades. It was these women
who answered the question by doing it. These women and the men with them opened
the western frontier and started the emigration. Who can say what would have
occurred if the United States had not added California. and Oregon to the Union
at the time that it was done.

Without these emigrant families the history of the West could have been
quite different. In Oregon the emigrant families organized a provisional
government in 1843 and adopted a set of laws. In 1848 Oregon was officially
made a territory of the United States. In 1848 Mexico surrendered its claim
to California by the Treaty of Guadelupe Hildalgo, after being pressured by
U. S. military operations and the numbers of U. S. emigrants in California.

How much influence did the women have? The fact that women could and
did travel safely to Oregon proved beyond debate that women could successfully
go west on the Oregon/California Trail. Their articles, letters, diaries,
and journals written on the trail which were sent home to friends and relatives

9
and printed in newspapers certainly did much to dispel fear of deserts,

Indians, wild animals, and other dangers along the trail. These writings
were credible descriptions of overland travel and also testimonies of how
the women endured and enjoyed the trip. The suggestions that these women
made to their readers helped later emigrants plan and prepare better for
successful overland travel. The effect of these women's letters and journals
on history cannot be measured, but there is no doubt that these first-hand
written reports were eagerly received and widely read by friends and family,
and by neighbors and acquaintances all over the United States. The fact that
the writings of the women entered many communication channels had the effect
of turning the writings into mass communications.

Every spring and summer from 1836 there were women heading west on the
overland trail. There were four missionary wives on the trail in 1338.
Mary Gray, Myra Eel 1 s, Sarah Smith, and Mary Walker travelled with a light
one-horse wagon, but the women rode horseback much of the way.

One year later there were two Oregon-bound missionary couples
on the trail. John and Desire Griffin and Asahel and Eliza Munger
reached the rendezvous on the Green River (Wyoming) on July 5th and finally
their destination in Oregon several weeks after that. Neither of these
women left journals or letters to record their experiences on the trail.

In 1840 there were women on the trail again. Three women accompanied
their missionary husbands to Oregon and again this missionary party travelled
in the American Fur Company's caravan which was on its way to the fur
traders rendezvous. In addition to the missionary families in this caravan
were Joel and Mary Walker and their four children, John, Joseph, Newton, and
Isabella, and also Mary's sister Martha Young. The Walker family took two
wagons loaded with their family possessions and provisions. The Walkers
have been called "the first family of avowed emigrants."

1.0
In the next year the first emigrant wagon train set out on the

well-established road to Oregon. There were 79 emigrants, including five

women and about ten children. This was called the Bidwell-Bartleston party.

Most of the families went to Oregon, but Benjamin and Nancy Kelsey and their

child, accompanied by several men, went to California.

In 1842 the emigrant caravan was 125 strong and included 16 or 17
families, and all of them went to Oregon. The next year, 1843, was. the first
big emigration, estimated to number around 800 persons with 110 wagons.
Most of these emigrants were families moving to Oregon.

There were several jumping-off points for the emigrants in 1344.
Three-hundred and twenty-three departed from a point nine miles above St.
Joseph, 350 left Independence bound for Oregon, and about 40 men with an
unrecorded number of women and children left from Council Bluffs bound for
both California and Oregon.

By 1845 the emigrants numbered in the thousands. More than 954 people
departed from St. Joseph. At Independence the editor of the Western
Expositor wrote on May 3rd, "We're in a perfect Oregon fever." Someone
estimated 1,000 to 2,000 people were congregating to depart for the West.

In 1846 the emigration was again recorded in the thousands, and it was
even larger in the following year. Nearly all were bound for Oregon. One
estimate placed the figures for 1847 at a total of 3,509 including 1,336 men
789 women, and 1,384 children under 16 years old.

By the end of 1846 the trail was very well marked by the hooves of
cattle and the wheels of wagons. Several guide books were available to the
emigrants to advise them about outfitting, supplies, routes, landmarks,
water, grass and wood supplies along the trail. In their journals and

diaries the women mention their guide books and even occasionally quote
from them.

1849 marked a change in the travellers and in the trip. Prior to
this year the emigration had included many families and women travelling in
large wagon trains consisting of hundreds of people and cattle. The emigrants
were taking livestock, tools, seed, and other things they would use to farm
the land, raise cattle, and build homes. They banded together for mutual
protection and often hired mountain men as guides. The travel was paced to
the livestock, and every effort was made to protect the health and strength
of the cattle. There was no real hurry. Emigrants would travel from the time
in the spring when the prairie grass had grown tall enough to feed and sustain
the livestock to the first big snows and freezes of winter in the mountains.

The year 1849 spelled change on the trail. In this year the travellers
were mostly men, and everyone was in a rush to reach the destination because
treasure was waiting to be discovered by the first and the lucky. This
was the year of the Gold Rush. Fewer women travelled, and only one woman's
journal that was written on the trail in this year survives.

In the following year gold-rushers again flooded the trail. One
woman's journal written on the trail in 1850 describes the year's rush to
California and recreates some of the excitement of the travel.

The body of literature about the trail and the travel was
growing every year. By 1851 the women's journals began to quote from
letters and diaries of friends and relations who had travelled the trail in
previous years. Some of the women wrote in their journals that they were
keeping a journal for the benefit of friends and/or relations who were
planning to go west in the future. Women were reading and writing about the trail.

The 15 years from 1850 to 1865 was another period in the history
of the emigration and travel on the overland trail. In this time the

12
the travellers were a mixture of miners and emigrant families. The large

emigrant trains of the 40s. changed in the 50s to smaller groups bound

together by common destinations and common goals. There were rushing gold

seekers and emigrants with plodding drives of cattle all trying to travel the

same trail, use the same watering places, and consume the same patches of

prairie grasses.

Every year the federal government was sending soldiers and building forts
along the trail to protect the emigrants from Indians. Some frontier
entrepreneurs had built toll bridges and constructed ferries across the
larger rivers and started trading posts to supply travellers with the
necessities along the road and also to make a tidy profit for themselves.

From 1850 to 1865 there are over 40 women's letters, journals and
diaries. These writings chronicle this great period of westward movement. In
their writings these women describe what they saw and experienced along the
trail— the other emigrants, the Indians, fur traders, soldiers, the flora
and fauna, the weather and the countryside and landmarks. They narrate
their adventures on the trail. They discuss their preparations for this
journey; they record their health problems, accidents, deaths, and births.
They tell about their clothing, discuss style among the travellers and
Indians; and they often complain about washing and ironing enroute. The women
describe food and drinks and cooking, express their opinions about buffalo
and antelope meat and about cow chips as fuel, and comment .on picking berries,
hunting, and fishing. Most of them describe their beds and sleeping
arrangements, their wagons and tents, their livestock and pets. They relate
their joys and fun .as they are entertained. The journals and diaries
contain descriptions of a variety of Fourth of July celebrations. The women
express opinions about their religion, worship, observation of the Sabbath,
and in a few journals the women record their prayers. At some point in her
writing, each woman makes some statement about the trip.

13
Sixty- two women recorded the story of their experiences on

the overland trail during the 30 years of major trail activity. These

women writers communicate across the century and provide fresh insights

and additional information about the trail experience, the emigrations, and

the women.

This collection of 62 writings is not a scientific random sample,
rather these are the ones that were destined to survive. These 62 journals,
diaries, and letters which were written as women travelled west on the trail to
Oregon and California are the history, the true story of the women on the trail.
These 62 writings are credible first-hand reports which should be read, studied,
and accepted.

Speculation about these women and the whole women's experience on the
Oregon/California trail is appropriate only when it is based on the facts
contained in these 62 writings. Speculation and study based on the reminiscences
written by women, after they have been separated from their experience by a
distance of decades, are not considered to be credible since reminiscences are
altered by the process of remembering.

In this writer's opinion this body of literature written by these women
writers on the trail is an adequate record and a reliable history. These women
tell their story accurately, they express their feelings poignantly, and they
describe their experiences realistically.

The purpose of this paper is to survey the journals, diaries, and letters
written by women on the Oregon/ California Trail between 1836 and 1865.

In Chapter One the original women's manuscripts are examined and
described. The writing equipment and the physical conditions surrounding the
writers are reviewed, and the women's reasons for writing are considered.

14
Chapter Two looks at the trail through the women's eyes. From the

journals, diaries, and letters a composite picture is drawn of the children,

the emigrants, the landmarks, the fur traders, the Indians, and the Mormons on

the trail .

The women's personal experience on the trail is the subject of Chapter

Three. Trip preparations, food, health, wagon train environment, dress, recreation

or leisure, religion, and motives are described, and a consensus of the women's

trail experience is drawn from the writings of these 62 women.

METHODOLOGY

One goal of this research project was to locate all of the journals,
diaries, and letters written by women enroute on the Oregon/California Trail
between 1836 and 1865. Other bibliographies include reminiscences in lists of
journals, diaries, and letters written about the overland trail, so it was a
major task to identify and separate the journals, diaries, and letters from
the reminiscences. Out of a total of 161 writings by women which were
located and studied, only 62 proved to be actually written while the women
were travelling on the overland trail to California or Oregon.

Only journals, diaries, and letters written from 1836 to 1865 are
considered in this study. These boundary dates of 1836 and 1865 represent
the year women first crossed the Rockies as part of a wagon train and the
changes in transportation which resulted from the construction of the
transcontinental railroad which was begun in 1865 at the end of the Civil War.

In order to allow these women to speak for themselves, their words are
reporduced as accurately as possible in the quotations contained in this study.
If the original manuscript was available for study, this was the source of the
quoted material. Spelling, punctuation and lack of punctuation, and even blank
spaces were copied as they appeared in the original writing.

CHAPTER I. THE DIARIES, JOURNALS, AND LETTERS

"It is lightning all around and the face of the moon is obscured under dark
clouds and the wind is blowing and I am in the wagon trying to write, a
little lantern is tied to the ridge pole. "--Helen Stewart

"As I was writing on the ground, by the side of the wagon, a great number
(of Indians) came around me and stood looking at my writing for a long
time." Marie Norton

"I write on my lap with the wind rocking the wagon. "--Algeline Ashley
"I rote thiz letter on the bottom of the dish pan."— Mary Dutro

"Sometimes I would not get the chance to write for two or three days, and then
I would have to rise in the night when my babe and all hands were asleep,
light a candle and wite. "--Elizabeth Geer

"I find it impossible to keep a regular journal... I will try and get an
almanac there (Fort Laramie), as I have entirely lost the day of the month
as well as the day of the week." --Mary Powers

TABLE 1

LIST OF WRITERS OF THE JOURNALS, DIARIES, AND LETTERS

YEAR WOMAN AGE DESTINATION DEPARTS HOME JDL* LOC**

1836 Eliza Spalding 29. ..Oregon Independence. .Cono D KSU

1836 Narcissa Whitman Oregon Independence. .Pa J&L. .KSU

1838 Myra Eel 1 s 33 . . . Oregon Westport Mass D .... KSU

1838 Sarah Smith Oregon Westport D KSU

1838 Mary Walker 27. . .Oregon Westport Maine. . .D KSU

1846 Tamsen Donner 30+. .California. . .Independence. .Ill L. . . .MPL

1846 Virginia Reed 14. . .Cal ifornia. . .Independence. .Ill I MPL

1847 Rachel Fisher 25. . .Oregon Iowa I WPL

1847 Patty Sessions 52... Salt Lake City. Omaha Nauvoo..L WPL

1847 Elizabeth Geer 38. ..Oregon St. Joseph Indiana. D OSL

1848 Keturah Belknap 27. ..Oregon St. Joseph Ohio J WPL

1849 Sallie Hester 14. . .California. . .St. Joseph Indiana. D MPL

1850 Margaret Frink 30+. .California. . .Council Bluffs. Ohio. . .J CPS

1851 Harriet Clark ?... Oregon Ohio. ..J OHS

1851 Susan Cranstone ?... Oregon Council Bluffs.? D OHS

1851 Mrs. E. A. Hadley ?... Oregon Council Bluffs. Ill ... .J. .. .OHS

1851 El i zabeth Wood 18+. . Oregon ? 1 1 1 . . . . J . . . KSHS

1852 Cecelia Adams 23. ..Oregon Council Bluffs. Ill J KSU

1852 Algeline Ashley 22. . .California. ..? Wis.... J HL

1852 Mary Bailey 22. . .California. . .St. Joseph Ohio. ..J KSU

1852 Lucy Cooke 20+. .California. . .Kanesvi lie Iowa...L UNI

1852 Mary Dutro 14. . .Cal ifornia. . .Independence. . .Ohio. . .L. . . JCHS

1852 Lodisa Frizzell 28+. .California. . .St. Joseph Ill J...NSHS

1852 Esther Hanna 20+.. Oregon St. Joseph Penn...J OHS

1852 Eliza McAu ley. (Egbert) 17. . .California. . .Kanesvi lie Iowa. ..J BL

1852 Caroline Richardson ? California.. .Weston Mich.. .J BL

1852 Lydia Rudd 27+. .Oregon St. Joseph ? D KSU

TABLE 1— continued
YEAR WOMAN AGE DESTINATION DEPARTS HOME JDL LOC

1852 Mrs. Francis Sawyer adult. California. . .St. Joseph Kentucky. J BL

1852 Cornel i a Sharp adult. Oregon Independence. .Mo D. .NSHS

1853 Maria Belshaw adult. Oregon Council Bluffs. Indiana. J. . .OHS

1853 El izabeth Goltra 22 Oregon Independence. . .? D. . .OHS

1853 "Cel inda Hines adult. Oregon Independence. . .NY J. .NSHS

1853 Rebecca Ketcham 18 Oregon Independence. . .NY J. . .OHS

1853 Amelia Knight adult. Oregon ? Iowa J...KSU

1853 Esther Lyman 27 Oregon ? Mich J. .LCHS

1853 Charlotte Pengra 26 Oregon Kanesvil le Ill J. .LCHS

1853 Agnes Stewart 21 Oregon St. Joseph Penn D..LCHS

1853 Helen Stewart 18 Oregon St. Joseph Penn J.. LCHS

1853 Harriet Ward 50 Cal ifornia. . .Kanesvil le Vermont. J UN

1853 Catherine Washburn 18 Oregon Council Bluffs. Iowa D..LCHS

1853 Velina Williams 20+... Oregon Kanesville Ill D..NSHS

1854 Mary Burrel 19 California. . .Council Bluffs.? J...YUL

1854 Sarah Sutton ? Oregon St. Joseph Ill J. ..OHS

1856 Mary Rockwood Powers 20+. . .California.. .Council Bluffa.Wis J..KSHS

1857 Helen Carpenter 19 California. . .Independence. . .Kansas. .J. . .KSU

1859 Harriet Griswold 20+. . .California. . .Council Bluffs. Ohio D...CHS

1859 Marie Norton adult.California. ..Council Bluffs. Iowa D BL

1860 Helen Clark adult. Denver Plattsmouth 111 J. . .KSU

1860 Mary Fish adult. .Cal ifornia. . .Council Bluffs. Iowa J BL

1860 Mary Jane Guill 20+ Cal ifornia. . .Council Bluffs. Mo J. ..KSU

1860 Mol 1 ie Sanford 25+ Denver Nebraska . Ci ty. . Neb J . . NSHS

1861 Malvina Manning 20 California. . .Council Grove..? D BL

1862 Louisa Rahm adult. .Oregon Council Bluffs. Ohio J BL

1862 Jane Tourtillot 29 California. . .Platte Ohio J... KSU

1863 Ellen Adams adult. .California. . .Council Bluffs.? D BL

1863 Catharine Collins 40+ Ft. Laramie. .Platte ? KS'J

1863 Abby Ful kerth adult. .Cal ifornia. . .? Towa J BL

1864 Kate Dunlap 27 Montana Council Bluffs. Iowa J... KSU

1864 El izabeth Porter 33 Oregon Plattenworth. . . Iowa J. . .OHS

1864 Mary E. Warner 20 California. . .Council Bluffs. Ill J BL

1864 Mary Eliza Warner 15 California. . .Council Bluffs. Ill D BL

1865 Sarah Herndon 20+ Montana Plattsmouth Tenn J. . .KSU

18
TABLE 1— continued

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN TABLE 1

BL Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley, California

CHS California Historical Society, San Francisco, California

CPS.

.University Library, California Polytechnic State, San Luis Obispo,
Cal ifornia

HL The Huntington Library, San Marino, California

JCHS Jackson County Historical Society, Independence, Missouri

KSHS Library, Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas

KSU Farrell Library, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

LCHS Lane County Pioneer-Historical Society, Eugene, Oregon

MPL Manhattan Public Library, Manhattan, Kansas

NSHS Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, Nebraska

OHS Oregon Historical Society, Portland, Oregon

UN Library, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska

WPL Wamego Public Library, Wamego, Kansas

YUL Yale University Library, New Haven, Connecticut

THE MANUSCRIPTS

The surviving 63 journals, diaries, and letters written by women
on the Oregon/California Trail are as diverse and varied as the individuals
who wrote them. A few of the diaries are elegant little leather-bound
books that would fit in a lady's pocket; others are large cardboard-bound
copybooks or ledgerbooks. Some of the writers composed masterpieces of '
colorful description, exciting narration, and beautiful language, while
others made a brief record of their journey noting only miles travelled,
rivers crossed, and weather experienced. Certain ones wrote as if they
were talking to themselves in a personal and private way, but others wrote
so the journal could be published for whole world to read.

A small number of the original diaries, journals, and letters are
safely stored in libraries and collections and can be examined, but many of
the original manuscripts have been lost. Many more are only available as copies
in the form of typescripts made by family members or handwritten copies made
from the original by the author. There are some of these journals, diaries,
and letters that are preserved only in published form.

Certain general conclusions about all of the diaries, journals, and
letters can be drawn by examining and studying the small number of original
manuscripts that are preserved and available.

The original journals and diaries were written on everything from
scraps of paper to beautiful leather-bound volumes. In size these vary from

20
a tiny three by four inch palm-sized diary to a larger 12 by eight and one-
half inch pasteboard covered-copybook or ledger book. The size of the
journal or diary imposed limitations on the length of the entry for each day.

Several of the women wrote in the elegant leather-bound pocket or
palm-sized diaries. Carrying a small volume was the utilitarian thing to
do when emigrants were trying to keep their loads light and small, but
the tiny pages made writing tedious and limited the volume of writing.

Harriet Clark's diary 1s a three by four inch diary bound in black
leather. Agnes Stewart's tiny volume had blank, unlined pages. She wrote
in her book carefully in ink. Abby Fulkerth's book was palm-sized, but the
pages in it were lined. Louisa Rahm's four by three inch volume had dates
printed in the book which allowed her just one inch of space per daily
entry. Louisa wrote small and her diary is very readable, but she was
severely limited by the small space for each daily entry.1

Several of the women selected pasteboard-covered copybooks or hard-
bound copybooks. These were not usually as elegant looking, they took
slightly more space in the wagon, and they could not be carried around in a
pocket. However, they were easier to write in, and they provided more space
for each daily entry.

Rebecca Ketcham wrote in pencil in her large pasteboard copybook.
Harriet Ward started writing in ink in a ledger book which measured seven
by eleven inches, but she switched to pencil after she spilled her ink
during a storm on the Platte River Road. Harriet's journal pages are lined
but the space was not limited for each daily entry. Her book reveals
a lot about her and is very personal. Its pages are yellow and fragile with
age, and some are marked with the imprint of trilium and other wildflowers
she gathered along the trail and then pressed between the pages.2.

21
Velina Williams wrote in pencil in her ledger book. Mary Fish

chose a large twelve by nine and one half inch ledger book with lined page

to take on her journey. Sarah Sutton and Caroline Richardson selected

3
six by eight inch copybooks.

Charlotte Pengra wrote on pale-blue seven and one-half by ten

inch sheets of paper that were not bound together in any way. Other women

used loose pages and mailed them home in sections at 'post offices' along

the trail. ATgeline Ashley sent her diary in sections and only one of the

sections survives. Esther Lyman and Elizabeth Geer mailed their journals to

friends at home. Narcissa whitman sent her journal home at the request of

4
her mother.

Some of the women wrote with pencils; other used pen and ink.
Rebecca Ketcham, Velina Williams, and Malvina Manning wrote their diaries
in pencil. There were fewer problems transporting a pencil on the trail.

Several of the writers had problems with their bottles of ink. Two
of the women spilled their ink and recorded the accident on or in their
journals. Harriet Ward's journal entry for June 15th is blurred by a
large blot of ink. In later years she explained that she spilled her
ink. From June 15th the remainder of her diary is written in pencil. 5

Lucy Cooke also had an accident with her ink and had to discontinue
writing until she got some more, evidently at nearby Ft. Bridger. She
wrote in her diary, "Since writing the above I upset my ink and lost my pen,
consequently my writing has had to be abandonned for awhile, but we have
journeyed on and on each day, till we reached Fort Bridger."6

Ink was available at some of the trading posts along the trail in
1852. Lucy Cooks 's husband bought her ink at both Fort Bridger and Fort
Laramie. She wrote, " William bought a small bottle of ink also. It was
only a ten-cent bottle, but he paid thirty cents for it. (Fort Laramie)" 7

22
Charlotte Pengra Pengra wrote all of her journal in ink. Harriet

Ward and Harriet Griswold started their diaries in ink and then switched to

pencil. Mary Warner wrote in pencil, and at the end of her journal she

noted that she had run out of both paper and pencil. She wrote, "June 20

This old journal is about done for book filled, paper all gone, pencil

worn out.

Some women sent their trail journals, diaries, and letters to
newspapers for publication in serial form. in some cases
it is only in published form that these writings survive. Elizabeth
Wood sent her narrative to the Peoria Weekly Republican in 1852, 9 and
Sarah Herndon wrote her journal in letter style to be published in the
Rocky Mountain Husbandman in 1865. 10

Several of the diaries, journals, and letters have been printed
in state historical magazines during the past century, and in some cases
this published version is the only surviving copy. The journals and
diaries of six women on the trail are printed in issues of The Transactions
of the Oregon Pioneer Association: Cecelia Adams, Elizabeth Geer, Celinda
Hines, Amelia Stewart Knight, Cornelia Sharp, and Velina Williams. Issues
of The Oregon Historical Society Quarterly contain the diaries and journals
of Marie Belshaw, Rebecca Ketcham, Agnes Stewart, and Elizabeth Wood.

Undoubtedly there were a lot more than 63 women who wrote diaries,
journals, and letters out of the thousands of women who travelled the trail.
It is probably remarkable that even 63 or so survive today when the problems
of their preservation for 120 or more years is considered. Some journals and
diaries were undoubtedly lost out of wagons on the trail before they were
ever completed. Some were lost by the casual mail service of the wilderness.
Others were misplaced after arrival in Oregon or California, and still
others were thrown away or forgotten as the families made numerous moves

23
from farm to farm or from home to home. A few were burned in fires or lost

in other tragedies. Some may have been discarded by disinterested

descendants. A few more women's trail journals, diaries, and letters are

still in private ownership with no copies safely preserved in libraries.

The survival of letters written by women on the trail was even more

precarious than the survival of the journals and diaries. The trail letters

of only four women have been preserved where they are available in collections,

but these four letters make historic statements. Narcissa Whitman, Tamsen

Donner, Virginia Reed, and Mary Dutro wrote narratives which are important

in all collections of trail literature and history.

WRITING CONDITIONS

Keeping track of a pen and ink, a pencil, and the journal or the
paper was just one of the commitments that the writer on the trail had to
make. Another problem the writer had to face was that of finding
a suitable place to write. On the trail there were no writing desks
or even tables for the convenience of a journal or letter writer. The
women sat in their wagons, on tree stumps, and a few even sat on rocks or
mountain tops as they wrote. They rested their journals or paper on
everything from dishpans to wagon seats.

The women frequently described their physical positions and
conditions around them. Helen Stewart wrote, "...it is lightning all
around and the face of the moon is obscured under dark clouds and the
wind is blowing and I am in the wagon trying to write, a little lantern
is tied to the ridge pole..." n

In 1860 Mollie Sanford complained, "I find camping not adapted to
journalizing, but I will try to write a little almost every day."12 Harriet

24
Ward did some of her writing in her wagon while her family rested. One

day she wrote, "Here I am, sitting on the front seat of the wagon writing,

Willis asleep beside me, Frank seated upon the bed playing her guitar

and singing 'I've something Sweet to Tell You'."

At noon on another day Harriet wrote, "Father is taking his daily

siesta in the wagon beside me. Willie lies upon his pillow on the front

seat of the wagon reading Thackery's Henry Esmond." la

In 1852 Algeline Ashley wrote, "I write on my lap with the wind rocking

u. ., 15
the wagon.

Mary Dutro found an unusual object to substitute for a desk. She
wrote, "I rote thiz letter on the bottom of the dish pan." 16

Finding time to write was often a problem when the wagons were
travelling long distances and long hours. One night Elizabeth Geer wrote,
"I could have written a great deal more if I had had the opportunity. Some-
times I would not get the chance to write for two or three days, and then
would have to rise in the night when my babe and all hands were asleep, light
a candle and write..."17

On evening Mrs. Hadley wrote while others made some music on the
prairie. "We are a merry crowd, while I am journlaizing one of the company
is playing the violin which sounds delightful way out here. My accordian
is also good as I carry it on the carriage and play as we travel."18 Another
day she took advantage of one of the trail landmarks and sat on top of
Independence Rock (Wyoming) to make her journal entry, "...took a walk upon
it (Independence Rock) pretty hard to ascend. I am now seated upon it
journalizing. There are thousands of names."19

Marie Norton had an uninvited audience on July 3, 1859, as she wrote
in her journal. "As I was writing on the ground, by the side of the wagon,

25
a great number (of Indians) came around me and stood looking at my writing

for a long time. I suppose it was a novelty to them."20

At least one woman found it difficult to write in
her journal. Even keeping track of the days of the week and the dates was
en impossible chore for Mary Powers. On the Platte River (Nebraska) she
wrote in her journal ,

I find it impossible to keep a regular journal. We start very
early, have dinner sometimes earlier, sometimes later, and as
many of the streams are dry we are often obliged to drive late for
a camping ground. Then with mending and baking it takes all my time
But after leaving Fort Laramie I will do as much as I can. I will
try and get an almanac there, as I have entirely lost the day
of the month as well as the day of the week.

Mary was travelling with three young children, and her journal reflects her

concern for them. Her interest in these children always took precedence

over writing in her journal. Her journal entries were undated and not written

on a regular basis.

Figure 1. Our Camp
Drawing by Mary Powers

26
Some of the original diaries and journals preserve more than just

the women's words. Caroline Richardson's and Harriet Ward's journals bear

the imprints of flowers that the women gathered along the trail and pressed

between the pages. Lizzie Richardson's childish signature is written on

otherwise black pages- at the end of her mother's journal. Lizzie also drew some

pictures in her mother's book.23

recipes

Recipes appear in a few diaries. Mary Fish's journal ends with twelve
24

REASONS FOR WRITING

In all of these ways the women were expressing themselves, trying to
capture forever a moment, a feeling, an adventure, a flower, or even a food
from one of the big experiences in their lives during the journey of 2,000
miles across a wilderness. Even though they shared a common purpose, each
was writing for a different reason and for a different audience.

Some were communicating to others and some wrote just for themselves,
for personal satisfaction and even for private meditation. Four women
mentioned that they were writing journals or letters for publication
and at least two were published. Elizabeth Wood's journal of 1851 and
Sarah Herndon's letters of 1865 were published in newspapers. Kate Dunlap
and Mary Stuart Bailey mentioned in their journals that they were writing
for future publication.

Five letter writers were communicating with people back home, and
one letter was published in 1846 in a newspaper. Tamsen Donner wrote a letter
to a friend, and the New York Herald printed her letter in its columns
accompanied by an editor's comment that Mrs. Donner was a "perfect specimen of our

27
American womerv-intelligent, educated, brave, and spirited. If the rest of

the females of the expedition are like Mrs. Donner, there need be no fear of the

expedition." It is an irony that this same "brave and spirited" woman

lost her life along with other members of the ill-fated Donner party in the

mountains of California, and the newspaper who had extolled her virture failed

to mention her fate in later issues.

Twelve year old Virginia Reed (also in the Donner party) wrote her
letter to her cousin. She wrote another letter home some weeks after she
arrived in California describing the horrors of last part of her journey.26

Rachel Fisher described the deaths of her husband and her daughter
on the trail 1n two letters which she sent home to her parents in 1846.

In 1852 and 1853 Lucy Cooke addressed her letters to her sister but also

27
invited anyone who was interested to read them. In 1852 Mary Dutro

addressed her three letters to her sister.

Diaries and journals written on the trail were often painstakingly
hand-copied and sent home as letters either in parts or complete. Narcissa
Whitman explained in her 1836 trail journal that she was keeping a journal
because her mother suggested it. She sent parts of her journal home with
people along the trail who were travelling east.

In 1838 Sarah Smith wrote her diary to send home. Soon after her
arrival in Oregon in 1847 Elizabeth Geer copied her trail diary and sent it
to some of her friends in La Porte, Indiana. Algeline Ashley also sent
home the one surviving part of her diary which narrates her trip from Fort
Laramie to Salt Lake City. As she described the fort at the beginning of
this section of her diary, Algeline wrote, "We wrote from here" indicating
that she may have mailed the first part at the fort. Mary Warner wrote that
she would send her journal home to her mother.

28
Two of the women said that they were keeping records on the trail

to aid others who were planning to go west in the future. In 1853 Elizabeth

Goltra recorded the conditions of travel for friends in Illinois who planned

to go west in the following year. Helen Carpenter was also making a record

of her trip to help others who planned to travel the trail. On June 4, 1856

Helen wrote, "It is of the utmost importance to know where water is to be

found, and not knowing but this journal may some day be of service to

someone as a guidebook, I more carefully note where there is wood and water

28
than I otherwise would."

Rebecca Ketcham's journal was "written for the benefit of friends who
may be interested."29 A friend gave Agnes Stewart her diary book, so
Agnes wrote, to her friend and even addressed some entries to this friend.
Harriet Ward wrote her journal to tell her friends and her family in the
East about her trip.

In her diary Lucy Cooke explained her purpose for writing. "I intend
keeping a kind of journal of passing events whilst on my road to California.
Cannot say what amusement it may afford myself or any other person, but think
my dear sister, for whom these lines are intended, will be interested in
their perusal."30

Some of the women wrote their diaries and journals for personal

reasons. Mollie Sanford started her journal with an explanation about the

intellectual exercise of writing a daily journal.

I have thought for years that I would keep a journal. I know it is
a source of improvement and pleasure, and have only postponed it
because I have thought my life too monotonous to prove interesting
In going to a new country, where new scenes and new associations wil

"m?J"^uy 12fe' there m?y b? some experiences worth recording

ions will
ui ding,
at least the employment will divert my mind in many a lonely hour.

After keeping her journal for several years Mollie began to treasure

her journal and found a new value and satisfaction in it. She wrote, "I desire

29
that it (this journal) shall be kept in the family and treasured as a relic
of by-gone days, not from any especial merit it possesses but because I do
not want, to be forgotten."32

Two women used their journals to record religious meditations and
prayer. Eliza Spalding recorded religious meditations and prayers in her
book. Maria Belshaw ended many daily entries in her 1853 trail journal
with a prayer. On May 20th she wrote, "0 God wilt thou keep us safe this
night. "-" August 21st when her husband was ill she closed the entry with
the prayer, "0 Father, wilt thou lay thy helping hand, again restore him
to health."34

CHAPTER 1 FOOTNOTES

Harriet Clark's manuscript diary is in the Oregon Historical Society Library in
Portland, Oregon. Agnes Stewart's manuscript diary fs privately owned by Mr.
Ivan Warner. Abby Fulkerth's and Louisa Rahm's manuscript diaries are in the
Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley.

Rebecca Ketcham's manuscript journal is in the manuscript collection at the
Chicago Historical Society. Harriet Ward's manuscript journal is in the Bancroft
Library, University of California at Berkeley.

Velina Williams' manuscript diary is owned by 0. A. Stearns. Mary Fish's
manuscript journal is in the Bancroft Library, University of California at
Berkeley. Sarah Sutton's manuscript diary is privately owned by Howard
Giesy. Caroline Richardson's manuscript journal is in the Bancroft Library,
University of California at Berkeley.

Charlotte Pengra's manuscript journal is privately owned by Olof Olsson of
Portland, Oregon. Esther Lyman's original journal was lost but a letter in
which she had copied parts of her diary is owned by Mr. Vernon White.
Elizabeth Geer's manuscript diary is in the Oregon Historical Library, Portland.

Harriet Ward, Prairie Schooner Lady (Los Angeles: Westernlore Press, 1959),
p. 69.

Lucy Cooke, Crossing the Plains in 1852 (Modesto, California: privately printed
1923), p. 37:

7Ibid., p. 29.

Mary Parkhurst Warner, "Journal of Mary E. Parkhurst Warner Kept During Camp
Life in 1864," Overland Journeys Collection, The Bancroft Library, University
of California at Berkeley, June 20 entry.

9
Elizabeth Wood, "Journal of a Trip to Oregon 1851," Quarterly of the Oregon
Historical Society 27 (1926), p. 192. —

Sarah Herndon, Days on the Road (New York: Burr Printing House), p. I.

Helen Stewart, "Diary of Helen Stewart 1853," photocopy, Lane County Historical
Society, Eugene, Oregon, p. 4.

12
Mollie Dorsey Sanford, Mollie (Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska
Press, 1976), p. 119.

Ward, p. 27.

14Ward, p. 148.

Algeline Ashley, "Dairy of Mrs. Algeline Jackson Ashley Crossing the Plains
in 1852," Typescript, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, p. 2.

Mary Dutro, "Letter, 24 April 1852," Archives, Jackson County Historical
Society, Independence, Missouri.

Elizabeth Geer, " The Diary of Elizabeth Dixon Smith," in Covered Wagon
Women, ed. Kenneth L. Holmes, (Glendale, California: The Arthur H. Clark
Company, 1938), I: 161.

18
Mrs. E. A. Hadley, "Diary of Mrs. E. A. Hadley 1851," Typescript in Overland
Journal Collection, Oregon Historical Society, Portland, p. 11. Mrs. Hadley's
given name is not known.

19
Ibid., p. 30.

20
Marie Norton, "A Trip Across the Plains in '59," Typescript on Microfilm,
Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley.

21
Mary Powers, "A Woman's Overland Journal to California, 1856," The Amateur
Book Collector I, nos. 1-5 (September 1950— January 1951): p". 1.

Ibid., p. 2.

Caroline Richardson, "Dairy 1952 from Nebraska to California," Manuscript in
Overland Journey Collection, The Bancroft Library, University of California at
Berkeley.

24
Mary Fish, "Diary 1860," Manuscript in Overland Journey Collection, Bancroft
Library, UNiversity of California at Berkeley.

25
John D. UNruh, Jr., The Plains Across (Urbana, University of Illinois Press,
1982), p. 21.

Virginia Reed, "Letter 1846," in Overland in 1846, ed. Dale Morgan (Georgetown,
California, The Talisman Press, 1963), I: 778.

Cooke, p. 3.

28
Helen Carpenter, "A Trip across the Plains in an Ox Wagon 1856," in Ho for

California, ed Sandra Myres (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1980T,~p7 100.

29
Rebecca Ketcham, "From Ithaca to Clatsop," Oregon Historical Quarterly (September
and December 1961), p. 100.

Cooke, p. 20.

31
Sanford, p. 1.

32Ibid. p. I.

33
Maria Belshaw, "Diary 1853," Mss 1508 Overland Journeys Collection, Oregon
Historical Society Library, Portland, p. 10.

' Ibid., p. 33.

CHAPTER 2 THE TRAIL—THE WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVE

"Our men are all well armed. William carries a brace of pistols and a
bowie knife. Ain't that blood curdling! "—Lucy Cooke

"Mr. Ermatinger says we are on the backbone of America."— Myra Eel Is

"I have heard lots of bugbear stories about the Indians. "--Charlotte Pengra

"Never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can. "--Virginia Reed

"They come out by the thousands and want pay for us crossing their country
Keturah Belknap

The women journal writers. on the Oregon/California Trail were astute
observers; they noticed and described the things that were most interesting
to them as women. The descriptions written by these 63 women paint an accurate
and composite picture of the children, other emigrants, notable trail landmarks,
fur traders, Indians and Mormons on the trail between 1836 and 1865.

CHILDREN ON THE TRAIL

On the trail as at home the women were usually closely associated
with and were responsible for the children. Children worked and played all
of the way to California/Oregon, and occasionally they became ill or were
victims of accidents. The women described these activities and provided
a valuable record of the children on the trail that cannot be found in the
men's diaries, journals, and letters.

Fourteen-year-old Sal lie Hester described her activities on the trail
as she played and interacted with younger children and other teenagers. On
one occasion she and her companions frightened their parents by exploring
at Devil's Gate (Wyoming) and staying away too long from the wagon train.
Sal 1 ie wrote,

...It's an opening in the mountain through which the Sweetwater River
flows. Several of us climbed this mountain, somewhat perilous for
youngsters not over fourteen. We made our way to the very edge of the
cliff and looked down. We could hear the water dashing, splashing,
and roaring as if angry at the small space through which it was forced
to pass. We were gone so long that the train was stopped and men sent
out in search of us. We made all sorts of promises to remain in sight
in the future. John Owens-, a son of the minister,- my brother John,
sister Lottie, and myself were the quartet."1

From Sal lie's perspective the trail experience was a good one. The
children and young people in her train had frequent opportunities to play, fish,
swim, sing, explore, and to make new friends.

Snowballing, leapfrogging, swinging, and playing ball were other activities
which children enjoyed on the trail according to the women's journals. Sarah:
Sutton and Mrs. Hadley described children having snowball fights in the
mountains. In 1854 Sarah wrote, "...the youngsters are threatening snowballing
each other. . . ."2

Mrs. Hadley reported in her diary, "Boys had quite a snowballing."

Helen Stewart described some boys playing. "They have had a game at
leap the frog, a play which I have often heard of but never saw."

As a fifteen-year-old girl on the trail, Mary Warner enjoyed swinging

one evening. On May 22 she wrote, "When we returned to camp there was

.5
a swing put up. . . "

Ball games, probably baseball, were frequently organized when the wagons
stopped. Mary Warner played ball with other youngsters, but Helen Stewart
watched a ball game while she wrote in her journal.

Children played whether the wagons were moving or stopped. Helen
Carpenter described the children in the wagon in front of hers. "Mr. Taylor's
wagon is just ahead of ours and the children amuse themselves peeping out
of the back of the wagon."

Children played while their mothers cooked. Eliza McAuley was amused

36
as she and her sister cooked desserts. She wrote, "We have fun making

pop corn candy. Margaret is baking cookies, but the boys steal them as

fast as she can bake them."

On the trail there were chores for the children to do, milking

cows, herding sheep, tending chickens, even herding cattle. Amelia Knight

described her children's work. She wrote, "It is all hurry and bustle to

get things in order. It's children milk the cows, all hands help yoke these

cattle, the de-l's (sic) in them. Plutarch (her son) answers,' I can't, I

must hold the tent up, it is blowing away.'"

The children seemed to adapt happily to the lifestyle of the trail,
and after several months of travel even the little ones became suntanned
and satisfied. Lucy Cooke described her little daughter after a few weeks
of travel, "My dear little girl is quite well and brown as a berry. She
has not commenced cutting teeth yet, but she says Dad-Dad so sweetly." 9

Some children adapted so well to the trail life that they
found it difficult to readjust to the civilized life at the end of the
trail when the family moved into a cabin or a house. Helen Carpenter's
baby sister surprised. her family when she became frightened on her first
night in a cabin in California. Helen wrote, "The baby, now seven-months
old got badly frightened on hearing it tick (a clock). In fact she was so
afraid of indoors that she was repeatedly taken outside, that being the only
thing that would pacify her. In our travels she has become a child of
nature." 10

The trail lifestyle was fun but also hazardous. There were no
completely safe places, wagons could turn over, livestock could stampede
or run away, rivers and streams were always dangers, and sudden storms
could bring hail, lightning, and high winds.

Accidents involving children are recounted in most of the women's

diaries, journals, and letters. Children frequently got lost or separated

from their families or wagon trains. Nearly all of the lost ones described

in the diaries and journals were found, often by other emigrants. Amelia Knight

and her family accidentally left their daughter behind at one stop. Amelia

wrote,

Here we left unknowingly our Lucy behind, not a soul had missed her
until we had gone some miles, when we stopped a while to rest the
cattle; just then another train drove up behind us with Lucy. She
was terribly frightened and so were some more of us when we found
out what a narrow escape she had run. She said she was sitting
under the bank of the river, when we started, busy watching some
wagons cross, and did not know we were ready. And I supposed she
was in Mr. Carl's wagon, as he always took care of Francis and Lucy,
and I took care of Myra and Chat, when starting she asked for Lucy,
and Francis said, 'She is in Mother's wagon.' as she often went there
to have her hair combed. It was a lesson for all of us.

Marie Belshaw described the time when her seven year old son wandered

off in the wrong direction and became lost. She wrote,

June 22. While eating William Belshaw and Charles Martin, 7 years
of age, started to get a horse. William left Charles to return to
the wagon. Charles could not see the wagon, he took the wrong road
and got lost. We missed him in about one-half hour, made inquiry but
could hear nothing of him. Between 30 and 40 people were out hunting
him, but no Charles to be found. Continued the search till sunset.
What agony did his parents endure during this time and what anxiety
did his friends have until a man came to our wagon at sunset with
the news that the child was safe in a camp nine miles from us.
He followed the river one-half miles then struck out towards the
road and came up to those wagons. They took him in and treated
him kindly.

Many children were injured and some killed in accidents along the

trail. Falling out of the wagons was the most common injury accident

involving children, and almost all journals and diaries record at least

one instance when a child fell out of a wagon. Amelia Knight's son Chat fell

out of her wagon once and was almost run over by the wagon in a second

accident on the following day. Amelia wrote,

38
Here Chat fell out of the wagon, but did not get hurt much...
Here Chat had a very narrow escape from being run over. Just as
we were all getting ready to start, Chatfield, the rascal, came
around the forward wheel to get into the wagon and at the same moment
the cattle started and he fell under the wagon. Somehow he kept
from under the wheels and escaped with only a good or I should say,
a bad scare. I never was so much frightened in my life. I was in
the wagon at the time, putting things in order, and supposed Francis
was taking care of him.1J

Jane Tourtillot described a neighbor's accident. "In the night I

heard Mrs. Wilson's baby crying very hard indeed, it had fallen from the

14
wagon... he struck his head."

Several children were seriously injured when they were run over by

wagons and horses. Catherine Washburn heard about one accident, "...passed

a company where a child had fell out of the wagon and was run over it ran

15
over its jaw and shoulder."

Charlotte Pengra and Mrs. Francis Sawyer witnessed injury accidents
involving children on the trail. Charlotte wrote, "A horse became frightened
and run over Mrs. Fordhairfs little girl —frightened us all very much and her
mother more--the little girl was not much hurt."16

Mrs. Sawyer saw a little boy injured. "Just ahead of us a wagon ran
over a little boy and broke both his legs."

Harriet Ward provided some medicine for a little boy who was

accidentally run over by a wagon. She wrote,

Frank has been over to a neighboring wagon to visit a little boy
who received a severe injury by being run over by the wagon a few days
since. We met them at a slough some days since and gave the mother
some arnica for it, which she thinks helped it very much indeed.18

A physician in Jane Tourtillot's train was called to see another

child from a neighboring train who was run over by a wagon. Jane wrote,

There was a little child run over by a wagon in Walker's train,
who are just ahead of us. The child was injured quite seriously...
They sent for a German physician that belongs to our train, to see the
child that was injured. He said he thought it would get better.

On the trail the women were closely associated with their children.
As mothers were most often responsible for the children, these accidents
as well as other activities involving children were often carefully noted
and recorded by women in their diaries, journals, and letters. The play and
many leisure activities often involved both the women and their children.
Swimming, fishing, hiking, and berry picking were activities that were
enjoyed by both the women and their children.20

OTHER EMIGRANTS

Since wagon trains were really travelling communities, they functioned
like other communities of their time. The members of the train were curious
about each other, made new friends, celebrated marriages and births, mourned
deaths, helped each other and shared things, had disagreements and fights

even robberies and murders, enjoyed parties, dances, worshipped together, and
even celebrated the Fourth of July.

The women were curious about others on the trail, and they observed and
then described unusual wagons and people. Paintings and letterings on wagon
beds and covers were curiosities. Lucy Cooke camped with the "Bullheads" one
night, and she wrote, "...accepted the offer of a company called 'Bull Heads' ,

which sign was painted on their canvas wagon covers, to camp with them that

21
night. ""■

Mollie Sanford noticed the Colorado gold rushers in 1860. She wrote,

"On one covered wagon I see lettered 'Pikes Peak or bust' and one returning

?2
Pikes Peak and busted.111

40
A wagon displaying a flag caught Marie Norton's attention, and from

that point on in her diary she referred to this as the "flag train." She

wrote, "They had a flag on one of the wagons..."23

Margaret Frink and her husband wrote their name on their wagon in

1850. In her journal she wrote, "He knew our wagon from the name on the side."24
Unusual conveyances were also attention getters. In 1852 Lydia

Rudd saw a man pushing a wheelbarrow to California, and she wrote, "...a man

came along with a wheelbarrow going to California; he's a Dutchman--he

wheels his provisions and clothing all day-he eats raw meat and bread for

supper. "25

Lucy Cooke noted five men pulling a conveyance which she described
as a truck .

Nearby were five men who draw a truck. We first saw them last
Sunday, and our boys made lots of fun of them... We passed the five
men with their truck, poor fellows. It had broken down, and they
have now taken pieces of it for poles, and thus slung on their
provisions, and carry on their shoulders.26

Margaret Frink described some unusual emigrants on the California
Trail in 1850. .She wrote,

There were all conceivable kinds of conveyances. There was a cart
drawn by one ox, and a man on horseback drove along an ox packed
with his provisions and blankets. There was a man with a hand cart
another with a wheelbarrow loaded with supplies... Among the crowds
on foot a negro woman came tramping along through the heat and
dust carrying a cast-iron bake oven on her head, with her provisions
and blanket piled on top, all she possesses in the world
bravely pushing on for California.

Even ordinary wagons occasionally carried unusual passengers. Helen
Carpenter was moved when she was a grandmother sitting in a rocking chair
at the back of a wagon. Helen wrote,

The Inmanns have been with us for ten days, yet we did not know that
there was a grandmother in their party until today after the wagons
were emptied when she was seen sitting in a rocking chair looking out
of the back of the wagon. In answer to inquiries she said that she
was large and feeble and could not get out and in without help so she
just stayed in the wagon. «

Deaths, marriages, and births occurred in these travelling communities
and were often accompanied by appropriate ceremonies and observances on the
trail. Funeral services were brief and all too frequent. They were usually
held during the noon break in travel or 1n the morning or evening at the
camping place.

Graves were marked by rocks, slabs of wood, or occasionally a wagon
wheel or wagon tongue. The name of the deceased, the date, and the
circumstances surrounding the death were sometimes written on the tomb-marker
to be read by future trail travellers passing by. One grave along the trail
near the Big Blue River crossing in Kansas attracted a lot of attention and
comment because it occurred early in the emigration in 1846 and would be
passed by thousands of emigrants in years to come. Sarah Keyes was nearly
blind and deaf as she was travelling west with her grandson James Reed, and
she died on Friday

be with her only son who was in Oregon. Every member of the company attended
this funeral which was described in a letter written by her great-grand-
daughter Virginia Reed. Virginia wrote,

...we came to the blue— the water was so hye we had to stay thare
four days--in the mean time gramma died she became speechless the
day before she died. We buried her very decent. We made a nete coffin
and buried her under a tree we had a head stone and had her name
cutonit and the date and yere verry nice, and at the head of the grave
was a tree we cut some letters on it the young men soded it all ofer
and put Flores on it.

This funeral for Grandma Keyes was somewhat typical of other funerals
on the trail. Burying the dead was considered a "common decency" and even
when emigrants found a murdered stranger they performed a brief service and
buried him. Catherine Washburn's party found a murdered man and buried him
on August 26, 1853. She wrote,

...started down the Blue Mountains we struck some steep hills
about noon we found a murdered man in a pine grove his pockets
were rifled and he was shot through the head we buried him as
well as circumstances would admit of30

When they were available, clergymen often presided over funerals and •
marriages on the trail. Helen Stewart's sister was married at the jumping-
off place in St. Joseph, but Helen did not record any details of the ceremony.
She wrote, "Another of my dear sisters has left the pleasant hearth of her
father to enjoy another it appears she has joined heart and hand with
Frederick Warner on the eave of our leaving St. Joseph on our long tiresome
journey.

One couple was married on the north side of the Platte River in 1853,
and Marie Belshaw wrote a brief note in her journal about it. "One couple
married on the north side of river today they came over for a minister and he
crossed over and married them."32

Clergymen and physicians. on the trail both performed their
duties as they journeyed west. Physicians and doctors attended the ill and
the injured and delivered babies. A large percentage of births on the trail
were attended by physicians, midwives, or other women who had received some
medical training. Small trains often stopped and laid over for two or three
days for a birth. In large trains usually just a few wagons laid over. The
birth of a child was good news which the women noted in their journals,
diaries, and letters. 33

43
In good times and in bad times cooperation was usually the mood of
the wagon trains, and the women emigrants were notable for their spirit of
cooperation. Kate Dunlap noted this spirit of cooperation in her diary in
1864.

We see many instances of manly generosity on the plains, There is
no place in the world where the qualities of a man will show themselves
sooner than in crossing the plains, let them be good or bad. I have
met with men and women who were like brothers and sisters to me.3'

The women shared food, cared for the sick and injured when a doctor
was not available, took in widows and children who were in need of help due
to the death or illness of a husband or parents, and even nursed the babies
of other mothers who became ill or died enroute.

Milk and butter were food products that were often shared. Harriet
Ward got some cream and milk from her neighbors. She wrote, "Called upon our
neighbors at the next encampment, a family from Missouri who had kindly sent
us cream and milk for our coffee." 35

Lodisa Frizzell borrowed a cow to milk from a family who joined
her train. In her journal she wrote,

:,:^er! WS Were jo1ned ^ two teams' a m™ and his family and 'his
wid wed sister with her family... they had five or six ow „h gave
milk, they gave me an excellent one to milk for they had more than
they could well tend to and we were willing that they should travel
with us which they did to the end of our journey.

Emigrants frequently shared meat from successful hunts. Buffalo,
antelope, and smaller game were shared with neighbors on the trail. Mary
Burrel, Harriet Griswold, and Susan Cranstone received meat from neighbors.
Mary got some ducks to eat. She wrote, "Foster and man shot several ducks
and divided with us, fish plenty in stream." 37

Harriet got some buffalo steak. She wrote, "Had buffalo steak for

44
supper given us by some neighboring campers who killed it this morning."38

Susan Cranstone received some buffalo meat from neighbors. "A
company just ahead of us killed two buffaloes and gave us all the meat we
wanted and one of our company killed an antelope."39

People who became lost from their train or who suffered from other
bad luck often found refuge and food with other emigrants. Kate Dunlap
and others were concerned about a lost woman, and she wrote, "There was quite
an excitement among the several camps as a lost woman was wandering about
seeking her train but could not find it."40

Margaret Frink fed a hungry man as they reached the Humboldt River.
She recorded,

u^'iV W3S •" Camp there came alon9 a man wh0 had lost everythinq
He had one pint of corn meal left. He was without shoes, and his

£? \m?l!1&2 1P raP- l madS a dish 0f 9rue1' mto'whicV
put alittle butter, with some other nourishing things.41

Helen Stewart and her party took in a widow and her family after
the husband drowned when a ferry boat sunk. Helen wrote, "We was within
three miles of the ferry when the ferry boat sunk and dround three men, one
of them was an imigrant his widow and family is in our company now we
will have to go to Iowa Point." 42

A sick man needed food and a place to stay so Charlotte Pengra agreed to
help him. She wrote, "...had only time to pitch our tent when a sick man
returning home called for shelter and lodging, which we granted. G.lad to
do something to help the needy. He had not been here long till a tremendious
storm came on..." 43

Helen Carpenter's mother nursed and cared for another woman's baby
while the mother was ill. This baby lived several days but died on the trail.
Helen wrote,

45
Here we came up with Farmer's train which was lying by on account

k k ll "e?S°f Mrs- Wilson- Mr- Farmer's married daughter who had
a Daby that had come prematurely and some one else that was sick
Mother at once took the baby and is nursing and caring for it.44'

Margaret Frink witnessed a different kind of generosity and cooperation
among the emigrants.

...the young men came across a young cow tied up to some willow
bushes with a card fastened to her horns, on which was written the
statement that nothing was the matter with the cow, that she was only
footsore and not able to travel fast, and that any one in want of
provisions would be at liberty to kill her for food. This beinq their
desperate case, they stopped, killed the animal, cut the meat into
small strips to dry, and travelled on with lightened hearts. The next
day they found a sack of flour with a card attached on which was
written permission to anyone in need of food to appropriate it to his
own. use. D

It was a common thing for wagon trains to band together and travel
in larger groups as they passed through areas where there had been trouble
with Indians or robbers. In this way emigrants helped themselves and each
other. Harriet Griswold explained how her train did this. "August 22.
Started in company with a number of other teams in all 42 men on account of
trouble with Indians. We have jouned together for safety to protect each
other in case of attack."46

Serious illness on the trail was usually treated by a physician
according to most reports in the women's journals and diaries, but sometimes
the women cared for the sick and injured. Harriet Ward helped an ill friend.
She wrote,

At eve our dear Mrs. Quigley was taken very ill, but with Mrs Fox
and myself for nurse and physician both, she ha done nicely and I

Lydia Rudd got medicine from a doctor in another train to treat her
husband. She wrote, "Harry has taken a chill this morning. . .called a
Physician... Dr. Henry has overtaken us tonight and we have got medicine from
him."48

46
The spirit of cooperation extended to California and Oregon. At

the end of the trail emigrants were often out of supplies, money, and even

oxen or horses to transport their goods. Relief parties were sent eastward

from the settlements in California to give food and help. In 1853 Ester

Lyman was impressed by the magnitude of this charity. She described

the generosity of one man who had sent help to 1500 emigrants who were in

trouble because they had tried a very difficult and dangerous shortcut. Ester

was on this shortcut when she wrote,

It was estimated that there were nine-hundred wagons, 1,500 persons on
the road we were in the last train of waggons and passed the whole
emigration with the exception of one team before we got into the valley.
After we got down the worst of the mountains we every few miles met
fresh cattle some to bring out the emigrants and other for beef and such
cattle you never saw in your life, so large and fat. At one place a
thousand pounds of flour, fifty bushel of potatoes, a hundred weight of
bacon were left by the partys with a notice to the emigrants to help
themselves, all a free offering of one man.

Although the spirit of friendly cooperation was prevelant on the
trail, there were also many occasions when there were serious disagreements
and disturbances among the emigrants. Conflicts sometimes resulted in injury
and even bloodshed. Since the emigrants on the trail were outside the
jurisdiction of the United States, law enforcement and justice was administered
by elected wagon train officials according to a code of laws adopted by
the train after a vote by the male adults. This trail justice had to be
simple and swift so the train was not delayed.

Murder, robbery, and domestic violence were the three types of
conflicts which were most frequently reported in the journals, diaries, and
letters. Several of the. women journalists either witnessed or heard first
hand reports of murders on the trail. Esther Hanna was one day behind a train
in which there was a murder, and she passed the graves of the murdered and
the murderer. She wrote,

Saw three graves, one of them the grave of a mart who was
murdered yesterday, his name was Miller, the name of his
murderer was Tate who killed him in cold blood. .. (next day)
Saw three graves, one was the grave of Tate the m.urderer of Miller,
he was taken the next day after he committed the awful deed,
tried by his company and some other, then hung. 'Tis awful to
think of his fate yet was just. (in the Black Hills)

Eliza McAuley was probably describing this same incident in 1852 in
her journal. She wrote, "We heard today the particulars about a tragedy
across the River. There were two men and a woman concerned. The woman's
husband attacked the other man and stabbed him to death. He was tried,
convicted, and hung, and the woman was sent back to the Fort."51

A short time later Eliza's party found the body cf a murdered woman.
"Tonight we heard that the body of a woman, who had been murdered, was
found hidden in a clump of rose bushes near where we had been,"52 wrote Eliza.

Robberies seemed to occur more frequently in the later years of travel

on the trail. More robberies seemed to be reported at the western one-fourth

of the trail. In 1860 Mary Jane Guill saw some men rob a trading post

located just west of Independence Rock (Wyoming). She wrote,

July 5. Travel about four miles pass Trading station near
Independence Rock. Mr. Guill got a pair of hobbles made for
Corie paid three dollars for them. Quite an excitment raised
by a company of emigrants before us. They had all passed on, had
got as far as the rock when five of the boys went on top, cut up
a good many extras then come down and went back to the
street?) and went into the blacksmith shop and two of them rogues-
one stole a pair of ox shoes and the others a butcher knife. The
Frenchman followed an overtook them, shot at them three or four.
The first shot took effect in the foot of the one who stole the
shoes. The company all was from Wisconsin, a very rough set too.5^

Harriet Ward heard rumors about an organized band of robbers in the
mountains of Utah, but she did not encounter them. She wrote, "It is said
we are now in the immediate vicinity of an organized band of Mountaineer
Robbers."54

Domestic arguments and fights were other sources of violence on

48
the trail. In 1847 Elizabeth Geer witnessed one woman's rebellion. Elizabeth
described the scene.

September 15. Laid by. This morning one company moved on except
one family. The woman got mad and would not budge, nor let the
children go. He had his cattle hitched on for three hours and
coaxing her to go, but she would not stir. I told my husband the
circumstance, and he and Adam Polk and Mr. Kimball went and took
each one a young one and crammed them in the wagon and her husband
drove off and left her sitting. She got up, took the back track and
travelled out of sight. Cut across, overtook her husband.
Meantime he sent his boy back to camp after a horse that he had
left and when she came up her husband says, 'Did you meet John?'
'Yes,' was the reply, 'and I picked up a stone and knocked out his
brains.' Her husband went back to ascertain the truth, and while
he was gone she set one of his wagons on fire, which was loaded
with store goods. The cover burnt off and same valuable articles.
He saw the flames and came running and put it out, and then mustered
spunk enough to give her a good.flogging. Her name is Marcum. She
is cousin to Adam Polk's wife.

In 1848 Keturah Belknap overheard an argument in a nearby wagon. This

argument erupted into a fight, but there were no injuries. Keturah wrote,

Overheard argument in the next wagon behind ours a man and wife
are quarreling she wants him to turn back and he won't so she
says she will go and leave him-that these men will furnish her a
horse and she will leave him with the children and he will have a
good time with that crying baby then he used some very bad
words and said he would put it out of the way -just then I heard
a muffled cry and a heavy thud as tho something was thrown against
the wagon box and she said, 'Oh you've killed it' and he swore some
more and told her to keep her mouth shut or he would give her
some of the same. Just then the word came 'Change guards!' Geo
came in and Mr. kitridge went out so he and hiSrWife were
parted for the night. The baby was not killed.

Agnes Stewart wrote about the disagreements between two young men in
her party. "Today we had a quarrel. Tom and as usual Fred came to blows.
Tom and Fred are always quarrelling about something." Agnes later married
this quarrelling Tom Warner.

Often the punishments for crimes and disputes were separation or
banishment from the wagon train. The banished emigrant had the choices of
trying to make it to California or Oregon alone, returning home, or joining
another train if the banished person could find a train that would accept

49
him or her. Only in a few cases were the criminals hanged on the spot as
reported by Esther Hanna and Eliza McAuley.

Although several crimes were reported by the 63 women journal
writers, conflicts were the exception and the spirit of cooperation and
the feelings of loyalty were the rule in these travelling communities. As
the days of travelling turned into weeks and the weeks into months, the
emigrants developed strong feelings of loyalty and comradewhip as they faced
common dangers, experienced the same hardships, and shared the adventures
of the journey across the wilderness.

These travelling communities often celebrated and played together
when their schedule permitted it. The Fourth of July was a holiday that
nearly all of the emigrants observed with some kind of celebration on the
trail.

On July Fourth the women reminisced about family and friends they had
left behind, they cooked special meals, and they often attended patriotic
orations, speeches, and dances on the trail. Guns were fired and fireworks
were enjoyed by a few parties, and most of the women writers made a special
effort to record their holiday activities in the wilderness.

Thirty-five women described their Fourth of July activities in their
diaries and journals. Reading and comparing these Fourth of July entries
reveal a lot about the writer's attitude at this point on the journey and
about the conditions of the party and their equipment, food supplies, and
livestock.

Sarah Smith and Myra Eells were at the fur traders rendezvous
in Wyoming on July 4th, 1938. Sarah wrote, "Independence day. I suppose
you are having some celebrations in New England. I spend the morning
washing and made a biscuit pudding for dinner. Received a call from an

™ 50

Indian with nothing on but a buffalo hide."

Myra wrote, " No church bells, no beating of drums Qr roaHng Qf

cannons to remind us of our blood-bought liberty. How different from one

eg
year ago."

In 1846 Virginia Reed was on the Platte River a few days east of

Independence Rock (Wyoming). She was in the Donner party which was caught

in the mountains of California in a blizzard. Virginia survived this

nightmare, but other members of the Donner party starved and froze to death

before reaching California. In a Tetter Virginia wrote,

We celebrated the 4th of July on the Platte at Beaver Creek. Several
of the gentlemen in Springfield gave paw a botel of licker and said
it whouden be opend till the 4 day of July and paw was to look to
the east and drink it and they was to look to the west and drink
it at 12 o'clock, paw treted the compiany and we all had some
lemminade.bu

In the next year Keturah Belknap's party had travelled fast and was

at Green River, well west of Independence Rock. She wrote in 1848,

It is the 4th of July.. .we are coming near the Green River, will
have to ferry it with the wagons. The cattle will be unyoked and
swim over. Some Mormons are here they have fixed up a ferry
and will takers over for a dollar a wagon. It will take all day
to get over.

In 1850 Margaret Frink was travelling in the mountains west of Ham's
Fork and did not stop to celebrate, but she noted that she prepared a special
meal to celebrate the holiday. She wrote, "July 4. Notwithstanding our
anxiety and fatigue, our dinner, in honor of the national anniversary was
the best we could provide. The last of our potatoes, which had long been
saved for the occasion, made it a rare feast." ^

In 1851 Elizabeth Wood was just east of Independence Rock, and Mrs.

Hadley and Harriet Clark were west of the landmark. Elizabeth wrote,

July 4. Today we traveled till noon and then stopped to get a 4th
of July dinner and to celebrate our nation's birthday. While
making the preparations, and reflecting at the same time of what
the people of Morton and Peoria were doing, and contrasting my

situation with what it was this day last year, a storm arose, blew
over all the tents but two, capsized our stove with its delicious
viands, set one wagon on fire, and for a while produced not a
little confusion in the camp. No serious injury, however was done.
After the storm was over, we put up the stove, straightened up the
tent, got as nice a dinner as we had upon the Glorious Fourth in
Morton last year. We then took care of our game, consisting of
1 blacktailed deer, 1 antelope and 3 buffalo. Last of all we went
to hear an oration delivered by Mr. S. Wardon. For your amusement
I will give a description of my dress for the occasion; a red calico
frock, made for the purpose in the wagons, a pair of mockasins made
of buffalo hide, ornamented with silk instead of beads, as I
had none of the latter and a hat braided of bull rushes and trimmed
with white, red and pink ribbon and white paper. I think I came
pretty near looking like a squaw.53

Mrs. Hadley wrote a short entry for the fourth. "July 4 Today has
been the 4th, our company and another joining fired guns and drank toasts and
had a merry time."64

Harriet was four days west of Ft. Bridger when she wrote, "July 4
This morning of the glorious fourth, we breakfasted at six upon trout
strawberries and cream. We were roused by Mr. Patton's firing 2 guns in
honor of the day and crossed Bear River."

In 1852 Cecelia Adams was still in Nebraska near Chimney Rock when
she wrote, "This is a delightful morning. A few birds are trying to sing their
Maker's praise. Our thoughts are continually turning homeward. I suppose
you all are having a Sabbath School celebration today. We would like to
take a sly squint and see what you are doing."66

In the same year Mary Stewart Bailey was about 40 miles east of
Independence Rock, and Lydia Rudd was only about 15 miles east of the
same landmark. Mary wrote, "July 4 Sunday Camped on the sand with sage
roots for fuel. It is wintery, cold and somewhat inclined to rain, not
pleasant. Rather a dreary Independence Day. We speak of our friends at
at home. We think they are thinking of us. ' Home Sweet Home.'"67

Lydia wrote, "July 4. This is the day of our nations jubilee of
liberty. Traveled ten miles and struck the Sweet Water and encamped for

52
the day to celebrate our independence. We had some gooseberry sauce for

dinner gathered from the bluff. Harry killed an antelope."68

Both Esther Hanna and Mrs. Sawyer were farther west on the trail.

Esther was travelling west of South Pass when she wrote,

July 4 Sabbath This is the anniversary of our National
Independence, we celebrate it on the banks of the Little Sandy-
nearly 1000 miles from civilization and more than 2000 miles from
our beloved home in Pa. Me have cold high winds today blowing the
sand and dust in every direction, even our victuals are covered
with it before we can eat them. This morning we had another division
in our company, flur Captain and two other families left us
making in all four wagons and a carriage, they wished to travel
today. The company took a vote on it, all the rest wished to
remain and they left. We are still a Presbyterian Colony... We
had no preaching today owing to high winds whirling the dust
in every direction. °a

Mrs. Sawyer's party was near Soda Springs (Idaho) travelling near the
vanguard of that year's emigration when she wrote, "July 5. Lying by today
to celebrate the Fourth, as we had to travel yesterday. We went fishing
this morning, then came back and cooked a good dinner. We had canned
vegetables, fish, rice cakes, and other little dishes."70

In 1853 Helen and Agnes Stewart's wagon train was travelling two

days east of Independence Rock on the holiday. Helen wrote,

July 4. This is the 4th in the States a great many, nearly all
is preparing for pleasure of some kind but we are celebrating it
by traveling in sand and dust but we had a great dance tonight
Ag and I went up on the hill and talked over old times and
repeated some paraphrases and all the like of that and then we
came down and danced until nearly one o'clock.'1

On the same day Agnes wrote,

4-th of July I am sitting on a little hill above the camp. They
are playing the fiddle and dancing-- we finished the 4th of July
by dancing. After Helen and I sitting on the hill and moralizing
so serious we came down and cut capers like a parcel of fools.

In the same year Celinda Hines and Harriet Ward were in two different

trains but were travelling near each other on July 4th. Both would reach

Independence Rock on July 5th. Celinda wrote, "July 4 Very warm. Saw a

buffalo chase in the morning. The water in a ravine nearby seems to

proceed from snow in the mountains, as it flows by day and ceases by night.

We got up an Independence Dinner, all the company eating together. Very

pleasant." 73

Harriet travelled hard on the holiday. She wrote,

July 4th. The celebration of our National Independence, which we
are so unfortunate as not to have reached Independence Rock, we
shall be obliged to celebrate by toiling through the deep sands
of the Rocky Mountains. Frankie and myself left the encampment
before the company and took a pleasant walk to gather an
Independence bouquet for our dear ones at home. *

Both Elizabeth Goltra and Marie Belshaw were camped near Ice
Springs only one day west of Independence Rock in 1853. Elizabeth wrote,
"July 4th. This is indeed a beautiful morning to celebrate the anniversary
of our Independence, but to us it is like all other days, the same work to do,
drove 18 miles today and have not much grass for our cattle tonight,
passed ice-springs at the right of the road." 5

Marie was near the same landmark when she wrote, "Forded the river
this morning. Heavy sand roads. Passed a great deal of alkali. Saw an
antelope. A gentleman told us one of the company would deliver an oration
but we did not hear it. Mr. McCarthy found some of the long looked for ice
this morning."

In 1854 two women wrote in their journals on the Fourth of July, and
both had already passed Independence Rock. Mary Burrel was just west of
Salt Lake City when she wrote, "July 4. In the eve two Indians came. Put
sold them his old coat for 50 cents. He (the Indian) put it on and called
himself an Emigrant. Shot off his pistol much to our surprise, but knowing
it had not taken effect we had considerable fun with him."77

Sarah Sutton was on the banks of Bear River in western Wyoming when
she wrote,

Here comes on the Glorious 4th of July, good health and luck

attend us.. .

Hail the day that brought our freedom.

Bought with our forefathers' blood.

Lo their happy sons and daughters

On this glad and welcome day

By the springs of mountain waters

O'er the hills and valleys stray

Independence then shall clear

Our path to heaven. 78

Helen Carpenter's husband cooked pudding for her on the fourth in

1857. She wrote,

July 4th. This has not seemed at all like 'Independence Day1
but just same old jults with plenty of dust thrown in... As it
was the 4th Reel (her husband) wanted something extra for supper.
Well what should it be? He said corn starch. I had never
heard of that being a 4th of July dish and further more I did
not know now to cook it. But he did just as Aunt Hannah used to.
So I stood by and saw him burn his fingers and scorch the
starch which when done was of the consistency of very thin
gravy. But we ate it, for on a trip like this, one must not be
too particular.'9

In 1859 Harriet Griswold and Maria Norton were on the Platte River
in Nebraska. Harriet's train was pushing to the west and did not stop
to celebrate. She noted, "Cannot spend time to stop to celebrate the day. "80

Marie and her family did celebrate. She wrote,

July 4, Monday I was awakened this morning bright and early by
firing of guns from some distant companies. It seems that they had
not forgotten Independence Day, if they were far away on the plains
and from home and friends. Got breakfast quite early, but before
breakfast the boys fired off some of their 'shooters' .. .Had some
apple dumplings for supper, which were very good. We had an
invitation to stop with a company to a Fourth of July dance, but did
not accept the invitation. After supper Jack played on his violin,
and some of the boys sang before retiring.81

Mary Fish celebrated on the Platte River in 1860, and Mary Jane

Guill was already west of Independence Rock on the same day. Mary wrote,

July 4th. This evening we are encamped on the Platte River in
sight of four different companies. They have stopped to celebrate
the glorious fourth and our company have camped for the same purpose.
There was an oration delivered this afternoon and there was quite
a respectable audience. The oration was not as good as I have
heard in the States but it was good as could be expected this side
of the Black Hills. There was quite a display of female beauty
present which would do credit to a more civilized region. 82

55
Mary Jane and her family celebrated the holiday with a special

meal. She wrote, "July 4 Our Fourth of July dinner. What an excellent

dinner have got, got some fresh peaches today and a jack rabbit and some

apples. What eaters we are at eleven we struck out again. The little creek

83
we dined on was called fish creek."

In 1862 two women observed the fourth but did not really celebrate.
Jane Tourtillot did not give a clue about her location on the holiday. She
wrote, "Today is the Fourth of July and here we are away off in the wilderness
and can't even stay over a day to do any extra cooking. The men fired their
guns. We wonder what the folks at home are doing and oh how we wish we were
there."84

Louisa Rahm was in Idaho on Friday, July 4, 1862. She wrote,
"Men busy working, bridge. Made some pies for dinner boys got back from
getting lumber for bridge Was very cold in the evening." 85

In 1863 Abby Fulkerth was near Fort Laramie on the holiday. She
wrote,

The soldiers have a fourth of July Ball which commenced last
night. They came to camp and gave the emigrants a cordial
invitation to attend. We all went up a short time we soon came
back to camp and went to bed. We are also invited over to the Fort
today and tonight to partake of a full supper.86

In 1864 Elizabeth Porter and Kate Dunlop were near Independence
Rock. Elizabeth's mention of the holiday was brief. "July 4 The
American Flag floats to the breeze."87

Kate Dunlap was at the Ice Springs west of the rock (Wyoming) when
she wrote, "Another fourth dawns upon us cold and high winds. I am wondering
all the time what our friends are doing at home. ..July 5 All the emigrants
invited to attend a ball at the station last night but none of our party went."'

In the same year Mary Warner was already in California on the
holiday. She wrote,

56
July 4th . In the morning we heard the firing of guns in the
direction of Virginia City. ..About three or four o'clock Uncle
Henry came. We all knew him as quick as we saw him. We had the
best dinner that we could get, and tried to celebrate the Fourth
as well as we could. After supper we played ball and in the evening
we had fireworks by the campfire.89

Sarah Herndon was on the Platte River for her celebration in 1865.
She wrote,

July 4. We made corral at eleven am the captain announcing 'we
will stay four hours.' I do not know if we stopped so soon
because it is the Fourth or because it is so intensely warm, and
the sun beams so hot, or because it was such a delightful camping
place. We had dinner at two. Our bill-of-fare: oyster soup, roast
antelope with oyster dressing, cold beans warmed over, dried fruit
sauce, and our last cake and custard for dessert. We used the last
of our eggs which were packed in salt, it is surprising how nicely
they have kept. We had a very enjoyable feast, with an abundance
of lemonade without ice. The boys put up a large swing on two
large cottonwood trees; two could swing at once with lots of strong
arms to send us away up high. We began to file into the road at
three pm. Our fun was all too short. Dr. Fletcher rode with
NeeTie, and Milt Walker with me.90

The Fourth of July camping place can be used as a marker to compare
the progress of the wagons and to determine if they were behind or ahead
of schdule according to other emigrants in other years. Independence Rock
by the Fourth of July was an unspoken goal for many emigrants. Those who were
farther west on the holiday were making good time and would probably reach
their destination ahead of the schdule without great problems. Those who
celebrated the Fourth east of Independence Rock were behind and could run
into cold weather and snow and were more likely to experience difficulties
crossing the mountains of Oregon and California.

Independence Rock (Wyoming) was one of the most often visited and
described landmarks along the trail. Most women mentioned it and usually
described it in their journals and diaries. Four other landmarks received
a lot of attention. Chimney Rock, Devil's Gate, Ice Springs, and Soda
Springs were also used like mile markers, indicating and measuring the
emigrants' progress across the west.

57
TRAIL LANDMARKS

These natural landmarks were often visited and explored by the
emigrants who went on foot and on horseback to climb hills and formations and
often to carve their names upon the rocks. The emigrants were nearly all
curious to see these landmarks which were described in all the trail guide-
books.

In addition to these natural phenomena the trail offered many
curiosities along the way. Forts, trading posts, pony express stations,
stage coach depots became landmarks along the trail and were observed and
often visited by the travellers. The emigrants themselves decorated the
trail corridor with signs, signatures, and graffitti written and inscribed
on rocks, bones, and trees, and they left a lot of litter along the road.

With hundreds and then thousands of people following the same
'highway' through the wilderness, the landscape along this trail became
littered with things that people had abandoned and broken, with carcasses
and bones of dead livestock, and even with the graves of emigrants who
were casualties on the trail. The quantity of litter increased as the
amount of traffic increased.

In addition to the things that were left behind on purpose, there
were also a lot of things lost accidentally. The women record that
the emigrants lost and found everything from livestock to children, from
gold pieces to books. Patty Sessions recorded an incident when a little
girl found a valuable gold piece. Patty wrote, "Matthews little girl went
down to the river-found a ten dollar gold piece at the edge of the river."91

A man in Helen Clark's company found a coin. She wrote about the
incident, "Thornton finds a two dollar and a one half gold piece."92

58.
Helen Stewart found a pocket book along the trail in 1853. "I found

a pocket book containing friendship cards and some poetry and some other things."93

Lucy Cook had a hole in her pocket and lost a dollar in 1952. "William

earned a dollar by swimming a horse over for a man. I took the dollar for

safe-keeping, but unfortunately I had a hole in my pocket, and so lost it."94

Narcissa Whitman had some good advice for all emigrants who lost or

abandoned some of their belongings on the trail. She wrote, "The custom of

the country is to possess nothing and then you will loose nothing while

travelling."95

Buffalo bones, tree trunks, and large rocks became emigrant signboards
along the trail. People wrote advertisements, directions, messages, and
names along the trail from Independence to Oregon and California. Mary Warner
amused herself by reading this graffitti in 1864. She wrote in her journal,
"I walked nearly all afternoon and amused myself reading of buffalo bones.
What do you suppose I find? Names of those gone over the road before us."96

In 1857 Dr. J. Noble advertised his services by writing advertisements
on buffalo bones and grave markers along the trail. Helen Carpenter was
amused by the doctor's ads. She reported, "His ad freshly written in bright
_red keel was conspicuously placed on each of the cedar slabs to the memory
of soldiers, 'Dr. J. Noble.' The Dr. is a deep thinker for no more sightly
place could have been selected to catch the eye of the entire traveling public."97

Later Helen was surprised when she found a sign with information posted
on it about the trail. "A real truly guide board, a very modest one, informs
us that it is 12 miles to the Green River."98

Margaret Frink described her friend's trail telegraph. In 1850 she
wrote,

59
September 1. Before noon we came to a notice on a tree by the
side of the road, saying that the Carson boys had turned off here
to find feed and inviting us to follow. We did so, and in a
short distance came to a fine meadow. This style of telegraph was
in general use on the plains. Notes were often seen stuck in a
split rod planted by the side of the road, where everyone could
see them. "

Even as early as 1852 these signs were numerous along the trail.
Lodisa Frizzell describes buffalo bone signs. "Nearly all the skulls and
shoulder blades (buffalo) along the road are more or less written upon."100

In this same year Lucy Cooke saw a buffalo skull sign left by
friends in a train ahead of them. "Today we passed a buffalo skull stuck in
the ground on which was the information the Rickey's company had passed
there that morning."101

Large rocks along the trail became registries on which passing
emigrants carved or wrote their names. Independence Rock was a popular
place to write names. Lydia Rudd and Lucy Cooke visited the rock in 1852
to see the names. Lydia wrote, "I saw my husbands name that he put on it
in 1849. "102

Lucy described the writing, "Some names were cut in the rock,
others done with tar or white black or red lead, and some few with paint."103

As travel increased, new forts trading posts, pony express
stations, and stage depots were built along the trail to protect and serve
and aid the growing numbers of travellers. Emigrants visited these forts
and trading posts to receive mail and to send letters home and to get supplies
or make repairs. These buildings were often regarded as welcome signs of
civilization in the wilderness.

Mrs. Hadley was glad to see Fort Laramie in 1851. She wrote,

Come to the fort which was beyond all expectation. About as
large a town as Henderson and much handsomer. On main street
the buildings are brick 3 stories high. Stores in the lower
stories. Here you can get almost anything you want. The town

Is a square block and brick sidewalks. It is on the south side of
Platte. There are quite a number of frame buildings. Here is a
good blacksmith shop... The town is at the foot of the mountains in
a bend of the river. ..They have a good ferry at or opposite the fort.
The road up on the northside of the river is a new one and comes
into the old one about 80 miles above the fort.104

Mary Fish passed pony express riders, stations, and stage coach
depots and noted these in her journal. "July 16 We have passed four stations
today. The pony express passed us this afternoon we saw it pass by about
twice a week. There is also a line of stages running to California.
Each stage has a team of six mules."105

At these places provisions, fresh livestock, and equipment were
offered for sale. Some of these frontier stores also offered surprising
things for sale, like newspapers. Eliza McAuley bought a newspaper at one
store. "We bought a copy of El Dorado News."106

Two women even found a newspaper office at Grand Island, Nebraska, in
1860. They bought papers and had papers mailed back east to friends. Mary
Guill visited the Huntsman Echo office on June 1st and then she wrote,
"Buy some papers from the office here which is something new to us. There is
a paper printed here called The Huntsman's Echo. Very nice little paper for
the plains."107

Helen Clark visited the same office on May 23rd. "We came to a printing
office this morning and had our names registered to be printed in the
'Huntsman Echo1 to be sent to any friend, ours they promised to Wm White
lOt apiece."108

The trading posts were the first of these improvements to be built
along the trail. These were the outposts or stores which bought, sold, and
traded for furs on the American frontier. As the emigrant traffic increased,
it was a natural development for these small stores to stock merchandise and
offer services to the emigrants. Fur traders, mountain men, and trappers
were the frontier entrepreneurs who ran these businesses.

61.
FUR TRADERS AND MOUNTAIN MEN

The women on the trail were curious about these mountain men who
lived in the wilderness among the Indians. In their journals the first
white women on the trail described the fur trader and their Indian wives
with whom the missionaries travelled.

The missionaries who were going to Oregon to live among and serve

the Indians were interested in the Indian women who travelled with the

fur traders' caravan. Sarah Smith described the wives of Captain Dripps

Several female Indians are journeying with us. The two wives of
Capt Dripps. They are trimmed off in high style, I assure you
The oldest wife rides a beautiful white horse, her saddle
ornamented with beads and many little gingles. A beautiful white
sheepskin covering for the horse, cut in fringes one/half a yard
deep, ornamented with collars and a great number of thimbles
pierced in the top and hung to the Tinge like little balls,
making a fine gingle as she rides along. Then comes the rider
with her scarlet blanket, painted face and handerchief on her
head, sitting astride. This is the fashion of the country The
second wife acts as an attendant.109

Laziness, dirtiness, and ignorance were the three main criticisms

which the missionary women directed at the fur traders' Indian wives. Sarah

surnned up her opinions in her journal.

Last eve we received a call from one of the wives of some trader
She was dressed in fine style. Perhaps her dress cost 100 dollars.
It was trimmed in beads and other ornaments throughout and beads
of a costly kind about her neck. Her dress was mountain sheepskin,
white and soft as kid. ..I certainly never saw so much ornament
but it all showed the barreness of her mind. It is said these
trappers take great pleasure in dressing their Indian brides, but
care not for their minds.no

Sarah also described the Jim Bridger trading party which they met
in Wyoming.

Received a salute from some of Bridger' s party who have just
arrived. This company consists of about 100 men and perhaps 60
Indian females and a great number of half-breed children. Their
arrival was attended with firing of guns and noisy shouts. Their
appearance was rude -and savage, were painted in a most hideous
manner.1-11

62
Myra Eel Is described the trading caravan with whom she travelled

in 1838, and she noted that the wagons in this train were not covered with

the traditional white canvas. Instead the wagons were covered with black

or dark cloth. She wrote,

There are 10 or 15 Indian women and children (with the train).
The company have about 200 horses and mules; we have 21 horses
and mules. They (have) 17 carts and waggons, we have one. We
have 12 horned cattle. The waggons are all covered with black
or dark cloth. ..The Company generally travel on a fast walk,
seldom faster.11'

Many of the women on the trail were curious about the mountain men
and the fur traders who lived in the wilderness with the Indians. The women
had read about these frontiersmen in the guidebooks and in the newspapers.
Heading west on the trail in the 1840s. and 1850s the emigrants often
met the fur traders' caravan which was returning to the East loaded with
furs.

In the years 1852 and 1854 the emigrants passed fur trading
caravans which were returning to St. Louis with furs. In these years the
furs were buffalo skins instead of the beaver which had been popular in
the first half of the century. The women journal writers in the 50s were
just as critical of the traders as the missionary women had been in the
30s .

Esther Hanna was near the Little Blue River when she saw the fur
trader caravan returning east on May 22nd. She wrote,

Met a train of fur traders, 18 wagons loaded with furs,
they were on their way back to the States. The men were savage
looking creatures, part of them Spaniards, one or two indians,
and the rest what were once white men, but a season's exposure
to all kinds of weather had so tanned them that I scarcely
recognized them as such.11-*

Two days later Lodisa Frizzell saw this same caravan and wrote,

63
Met a company of fur traders with 16 wagons loaded with buffalo robes,

they were very singular in appearance looking like so many hugh elephants,

and the men, except two were half breeds and Indians, a rougher looking

set I never saw. "114

On her way to Oregon in 1854 Sarah Sutton met a fur trader caravan

which was going east to St. Joseph.

We met eight covered wagons of fur traders going to St. Jo. their
wagons were marked buffalo skins, bear skins, tiger skins, monkey
skins, wild cat skins, etc. and the men looked like a wild set
themselves some of them were dressed in greasy, ragged leather
coats and pants and looked as though they come from the wild cat
nation. llb

These trading caravans returning east and the trading posts and
forts along the trail all served the emigrants as post offices or as a
postal service. This important service gave the emigrants a good reason
to stop at the post or fort or go to the caravans and mail letters home,
or pick up mail from friends and family. In the process of mailing letters,
the emigrants often transacted other business with the traders such as
buying supplies or trading livestock.

The women were often very anxious to receive news from friends
and family back home, so they looked forward to their arrival at these
frontier post offices. The journalists and diarists often named and described
the frontier post offices. Mary Jane Guill went to the post office at
Fort Laramie and wrote, "We visited the post office put some letters in
the office one to George Williams and home No letters here from home."116

Sarah Herndon saw a post office near Fort Kearney (Nebraska) in a
house on the prairie. She wrote, "The gentleman of the house is the
postmaster-^and has his office in the room across the hall from the parlor.
While we were there the coach arrived, and the mall was brought in." 117

64
Many emigrants had to wait until they reached California or
Oregon before they received letters from the families and friends they had
left four or five months earlier. Margaret Frink wrote, "Today Mr. Frink
made a visit to the city of Sacramento to inquire for letters as we had
not heard from home since we left Martinsville. He found $5 worth of
letters, the postage being forty cents on each."118

Near the forts and trading posts the emigrants often encountered
other people in addition to the traders and soldiers. Indians were often
camped in the vicinity of these places, and as the wagon trains passed
the Indians often paid a visit to the emigrants. The Indians were probably
as curious about the emigrants as the emigrants were curious about the
Indians. Some Indians stood and watched Harriet Ward write in her
journal; Indians shook hands with the members of Mary Warner's party, and
Indian women stared at Helen Clark's bloomers.119

INDIANS

All of the women's journals and most of the diaries contain
descriptions of the Indians encountered along the trail. Almost without
exception the women emigrants were inquisitive and at the same time
apprehensive about the Indians along the trail. Most had apparently read
or heard descriptions of the ndians and of Indian atrocities; so the
women women looked forward to their first encounter with both curiosity
and anxiety.

Since seeing and meeting Indians was a new experience for most of
the women journalists on the trail, they usually described the Indians

65
they met. The women usually interacted with the Indians and often traded,
talked, and scrutinized the Indians and then wrote about the encounter in
their diaries and journals.

Emigrant women on the trail often had unique relationships with
the Indians along the trail. Since the women did not usually threaten
the Indians, there was the opportunity for some dialogue and trade.

The women's records of Indians encountered along the Oregon/
California Trail are unique and different from the osscriptions written by
men on the trail. Three facts emerge from the women's journals. (1) Different
tribes had different relationships with the trail. (2) The Indians were not
barriers to the emigration and they often assisted the emigrants by providing
information, food, horses, boats, and labor. (3) The conflicts between
Indian and trail travellers increased as time passed beginning with almost no
conflicts in the 1830's and 1840's, and increasing in numbers of depredations
in the 1850's and 1860's. This is contrary to what should have happened as
soldiers were stationed at new forts built along the trail to defend and
protect the travellers. It appears that the hostility was actually intensified
as the military presence along the trail was increased.

Each leg of the journey presented different Indian tribes to the
emigrants. At the eastern end of the trail, the Kansa, the Pottawatomie, and
other Indians were friendly and even helpful. These Indians provided ferry
boats across large rivers and toll bridges across some of the smaller but
difficult rivers and streams. These Indians did annoy some emigrants by
coming into the camps and begging for food and trinkets, but they were not
considered dangerous.

In 1851 Sarah Cranstone met some Indians at the trail's beginning.

...three Indians, the first that we had seen, met us just at night
and followed us to camp. They appeared very friedly and were begging
They had a paper and on it was written with a pencil, 'these are
friendly Indians, you had better treat them well.'20

66
At Kanesville (near Council Bluffs, Iowa) Eliza McAuley was

entertained by an Indian camp. She wrote, "At break of day the Indians

awoke us singing their morning song. The old chief started the song and the

121
other chimed in and it was very harmonious and pleasing."

After the emigrants passed through the Kansa and Pottawatomie lands,
they were in Pawnee territory. These Pawnees were often encountered along
the Platte River, and again the relationship between emigrant and Indian
was usually friendly and often even humorous verbal exchanges were made
between Indian and emigrant. Helen Clark wrote about two incidents in
1860 when a Pawnee Indian tried to trade ponies to her husband in exchange
for her. She wrote, "We saw some Indians that offered five, six, and ten
ponies for me and Mrs. Wimple. One wanted to sell his pony and get her and
wisky." 122

Two days later some more Indians visited the same wagon train, and
Helen wrote,

Three' Indians passed us today horseback and they stopped as they
passed Mr. Kline, Mrs. Wimple and me, and Mr. Kline wanted to
know what they would give for ME and one, the chief held up all
his fingers and Mr. Kline asked him if he had three ponies, he
gave assent and made room on behind for me when Mr. K. backed out.1-23

In 1853 Harriet Ward's husband tried to trade for an Indian pony.
The only trade the Indians would consider was Ward's daughter. Harriet
wrote, "We had been trying a long time to purchase a pony of a fine young
Indian, who refused all our efforts but at length rode up and offered two
ponies for Frank (Ward's daughter)." 124

The Pawnees' wickiup villages and nomadic movements interested the
emigrant women. In 1853 Helen Stewart and two friends met some Pawnees as
the emigrant women were exploring the countryside. Helen wrote in her
journal ,

67
Mary, Ag, and I took a walk up some of the high hills and as we
was coming back we met two Indians one of them was dressed fine
he had a brod stripe of beads sowd in the middle of his blanket
and his shoulders was just covered with them he had two peaces
of some kind of fur and a long plated consurn it looked like a
whip fastened to the back of his head and a black bird on the place
where they are fastened he had a small looking glass set in
wood strung round his nect something to smell also it had a
pleasant smell I cannot begin to describe all the fixings he
had on the other one had nothing nice only his legins and shoes
they were just covered with beads the dressed one was very
talkative and wanted me±o get on his horse behind him and ride
to where the wagon was.

Sarah Sutton saw a village of travelling Pawnees set up camp in

minutes as a rainstorm threatened the nomads in 1854. She wrote,

... here come the whole 600 moving their tents. They lash
their poles on each side of poneys like shafts and carry their
other plunder on the back end of them dragging on the ground and
we saw 20 dogs with shafts hauling a six gallon keg and dressed
buffalo skins, their tent cover. Their teams went on ahead of
us and the men, squaws and papoos and children of all sizes were
all among us and our children have swapt bread for a good many
strings of beads. We struck in behind them it soon began to
rain and first we knew they had built their houses in 20 minutes
and was the busiest people ypu ever saw turning out their horses
and gathering weeds to burn. ° (125 miles east of Ft. Laramie,
Wyoming)

• Kate Dunlop described a Pawnee village on the move in 1864.

Reached the Platte at 11 o'clock— took our noon rest. Today we
passed through two Indian villages. At one of these a white man
a trading post. He bought the lame worn out stock of the "pilgrims"
at his own price. I notices several half breed children better
clad than the rest. At one of the villages Mr. Codington sold a
dog to the Indians who at once butchered him for a grand feast.
We also met a large company moving. The poles of their wigwams
were tied to each side of the ponies, in the manner of shafts, one
end dragging on the ground, upon which were their camp equipage,
pappooses, and squaws, the latter driving. Some are,.cf horseback,
some on foot, the whole being a motley looking crew.

The Pawnees were not friendly to the emigrants on all occasions and

on a few meeting were accused of purposefully stampeding the emigrants'

livestock. In 1853 Maria Belshaw wrote, "June 15 We came to the Indian

village two miles from our camp. They all came out and frightened our teams,

five of them ran, one yoke was broken Mr. Coonts was run over and hurt."128

Rachel Fisher reported a stampede in 1847.

June 10. ...the first thing we knew there was about 40 Indians
running past the campt trying to take the horses. All the men that
was in campt took after them. The men soon all came back except
four that had gone a hunting and three that took horses and went to
try to rescue the others. Indians went over the bluff found two
of the men- T. Hockette and J. M. Robison took guns and all
their clothing except and boots and hats found thenother two
men did not take anything but their shot pouches.129

After passing through the Pawnee territory, the emigrants usually
met the Sioux. The Sioux were described and identified by more of the
emigrant women writers than any other tribe. The women found the Sioux to be
everything from kind and harmless people to dangerous and hostile murderers.

Sarah Cranstone and Mrs. Hadley described a village of Sioux in

1851. On May 30th Mrs. Hadley passed their camp and wrote about the 'Soos'

she encountered on the Platte.

May 30 Came to an Indian camp about noon where they had quite
a little village of wigwams and a great many poneys. They are
a tribe of soos. They are kind and hospitable and are the most
polite and cleanest tribe on the road. They are whiter, to than
any that we have seen. They are well dressed and make a fine
appearance, went in one of their houses made of dressed skins
sewed together and very large. They are all busy some of them
jerking buffalo, some painting skins for boxes which look very
nice. 1JU

On the next day Sarah, who was travelling in a different wagon train,
passed the same Sioux camp and described them in her diary.

May 31- There is a large encampment of them across the river
opposite us. They were Shions and Sious who marry and live
together yet have each their separate chiefs. The Shions (CheyennesJ,
a very intelligent looking nation, are said to be wealthy. A
little papoose attracted the attention of the whole company. It
was dressed in a wild cat skin taken off whole and lined with
red flannel and trimmed with beads. There was a Frenchman living
with them, said he had been there 32 years. 161

Many women found the Sioux congenial and friendly. In 1852 Algeline

Ashley described the village and Lucy Cooke traded with them. Both women met

the Indians near Fort Laramie. Algeline wrote,

69'
The siouxs are established in this part of the country; they

keep a great many horses, mules, and ponies for sale and ask from

$100 to $125 for horses and mules, and from $65 to $75 for

for ponies. There are many French traders with them. They keep a

a great number of dogs and are very careful to keep them away

from the tents. They do not beg but offer to pay for anything they

desire. They make their tents of buffalo skin and long poles

and carry the poles with them when they,move because there is no

timber for 200 miles back of the Fort. ?

Lucy was impressed with their furs and wrote, "There were a number
of Indians around at this place, and I had a good chance to trade for a fur
or two. I swapped one of my small blankets for a pretty robe of prairie
dog skins. I think there are ten in it, all nicely sewed together."133

In 1850 Margaret Frink was prepared to trade with the Sioux. She
wrote,

The squaws were much pleased to see the white squaw in our
party as they call me. I had brought a supply of needles and
thread, some of which I gave them. We also had some small mirrors
in gilt frames and a number of other trinkets with which we
could buy fish and fresh buffalo, deer, and antelope meat.134

The emigrants were curious about the Sioux burial practices.

Mary Dutro saw a Sioux grave in 1852 as she and some friends were exploring.

In her letter she wrote,

Nattie, Sam Davis Sis and I went off the road some distance
today to see an indian grave. We are now passing through the
Sioux traibe. They are a very harmless tribe. The way they bury
their dead, they plant four posts in the ground about eight or
ten feet high and lay sticks across then lay the dead body on
that after tying it up in buffalo hides and blankets.1-"

A Sioux child's burial was described by Maria Norton in 1859.

July 24. . We went this morning to see the skeleton of a papoose,
which had been buried up in a tree and had fallen down. It was
done up in a red handkerchief, with red and blue flannels, and
last of all a buffalo robe. It was very much fried and. shriveled
up; should think that it had been dead quite a while?

After shaking hands with a friendly Sioux brave near Fort Laramie,

Mary Elizabeth Warner wrote in her journal that she was afraid. Her husband

70
had some fun when he offered to sell his scared wife to the brave. Mary wrote,

One tall fine looking Indian came up to my buggy before I got
out and wanted to shake hands. Well of course I shook hands and
shook other wise. And then what do you think, asked Warner to sell
me for ponies. '

Mary's niece, Mary Eliza Warner witnessed this incident and also
described it. "May 7 (1 day west of Scotts Bluff) We stopped at noon near an
Indian village-about thirty Indians came to camp. Uncle Chester traded Aunt
Lizzie off for three ponies but she would not go."

The Sioux shared buffalo meat with Celinda Hines and her family in
1853. She wrote,

... saw some indians chasing buffaloes. It was said there were
50 in the herd. They succeeded in killing a number of them.
The chase was very interesting to us. The indians had nothing
but halters on their horses... We examined some bows and arrows
with which they killed them. The Sioux gave Charles a quarter
and offered him another, but he took but one.9

Mary Burrel counted the Sioux Indians she passed in one village in

1854 and described their ponies.

June-4. What a sight we have seen today; we met 402 Indians or
more. I am certain of this many for I counted them besides
ponies and dogs and plenty of children, about two to a man and
three ponies to a person and five dogs, half wolf. They had
their tent poles fastened on to the ponies on each side, and the
pofivisions and packed on his back and on those poles. Dogs
were loaded also. We met them on the hills. They were Sioux
and had weapons but were very friendly... Their ponies were
decorated with leather coverings and beads worked on them, with
many strings cut of leather attached to the edge. Feathers on
the horses heads, sometimes a bell on the neck, and a red string
or something fastened to the tail, near the crupper. The sight
was astonishing, equal to 50 caravans or circuses.140

Helen Carpenter admired the Sioux braids in her journal entry of

June 23, 1857.

(At- Ash Hollow)... the camp is full of Sioux indians. ..They are
tall fine looking Indians. The women and men alike wear the hair
in two long braids hanging down the back. From its sleek, glossy
appearance it shows the care that it receives. The dress is the
same as the Pawnees have, government Makinaw three point blankets.
They came with moccasins to trade for something to' eat. 1

71
Farther west Elizabeth Wood met another Sioux village on the move.
She wrote,

August 6'. we passed Fort Hall; met a company of Indians moving;
they had their ponys packed with their goods until one would
suppose nothing else could be got on them; but on the top of
their "plunder" the little papooses were tied, to keep them from
falling off. Some of the ponys were rode by the squaws with a
papoose lashed to their backs, and in some cases one or two at
their sides, or if one, something else to keep up the equilibrium
There were about 20 families of these Indians, seeking for
winter quarters.14'

In 1860 Mary Jane Guill and Helen Clark met some Sioux. Mary Jane
wrote in her journal, "June 14 We met a company of Sioux indians moving
several dogs pulling carts of poles with their blankets on them and one
load of pups." 143

On the Platte River in Wyoming Helen wrote,

About 8 o'clock we began to meet Indians and we came to a
large village where they were tearing down wigwams preparatory
to moving away. The boys judged there were 200 ponies getting
packed and saddled. There are swarms of Indians meeting us. Tom,
Mr. Walker, Mother and I are all up on the hill when the little
squaws come on horseback with beads to sell, so I take a string for
five cents. One squaw took a fancy to Mother's fan and
•expecially her parasol-she offered a pair of moccasins for it,
but she did not sell it. One old man held both my hands and would
not let go for awhile. The Indians all fancy my, sleeves and
dress and offer all the beads they have for it.14'

In 1853 the women reported violence on the trail, and the Sioux were

involved according to Marie Belshaw and Charlotte Pengra. It is not clear what

happened, but both women reported murders and the involvement of soldiers

from Fort Laramie. On June 16th Charlotte wrote,

Passed, another Indian village this morning, called to their
wigwams but they appeared very hostile, pointed their guns at us
several times.. .a half-breed that was with them said there had been
trouble at the Fort, and that the indians intended attacking the
Emigrants. At noon we passed another trader point, they said that
there had been a fight the day before, and that six white men and
six Indians were killed... 150 indians attempted to cross over the

ferry which was
allowed to .cross

— -™..r www ww ti vjjj UVC

a violation of their treaty, six only to be
! at one time. The colonel refused them.1"

72
Six days later Maria Belshaw wrote in her journal,

June 22. News came this evening that a husband, wife and two
children were murdered on Monday the 20th near the Fort on the
south side of Platte River. The alarm was given at the FoVt
the solders came and killed one indi an wounded one. There
team ?thS"F£.W"* ^ t0°k ^ de3d b°dies and the

. The Sioux were. also involved in an attack on other Indians, and in
1864 one such attack on some Pawnees was described by Mrs. Francis Sawyer.
She wrote,

May 26 A large party of Pawnee Indians passed us this morning
going to their hunting grounds after buffalo, and this afternoon
we met them returning. They had met a party of Sioux, and the
result was a battle took place, The Sioux had whipped them,
killing and scalping two of the party and wounding several others
The Pawnees were very angry and badly frightened. Some were
armed with bows and some with guns. ..There were only thirteen
Sioux and they whipped sixty or seventy Pawnees. When we came
to where the battle had been fought, Mr. Sawyer and I drove off
the road a short distance to see one of the Indians who had been
killed. It was the most horrible sight I ever saw. Four or
five arrows were sticking in his body and his scalp was gone
leaving his head bare bloody and ghastly. I am sorry I went
out to look at him.i4/

There were other conflicts between Indians and emigrants. In her

journal on August 11, 1862, Jane Tourtillot described a massacre along the

trail near the Snake River. A train of eleven wagons ahead of them was

attacked by Indians and the men killed and wagons plundered. Other emigrants

rallied to help this train and tried to recover the stolen livestock , but

the rescuers were attacked and more emigrants were killed. It was not clear

what actually occurred, but it was reported that over $6,000 was stolen from

one wagon alone. Jane described what she witnessed,

August 10. (near the Snake River). ..In a short time the word came
back that a tram six miles on had been attacked by the indians
and some killed and that was cause enough for the arming In a
short time were met by two men. They wanted us to go a short
distance from the road and bring two dead men to their camp, five
miles ahead. Albert unloaded his little wagon and sent Gus back
with them and about forty armed men from both trains to get them
We learned that a train of eleven wagons had been plundered of all
that was in them and the teams taken and the men killed. One was

2wUiI«nklh-Wh2 l6ft US.the 25th 0f last m°^---he was shot
eight times, his dog was shot four times. They took all that he
had in his wagon, except his trunks and books and papers It is
supposed that they took six thousand dollars from him... The Captain
had a daughter shot and wounded severely. This happened yesterday
This morning a part of their train and part of the Kennedy train
went In pursuit of the stock. They were surrounded by Indians on
ponies and killed several wounded and two supposed to be killed.
...August 11 The two men we brought up were buried early this
morning with the other three, so they laid five men side by side
in this vast wilderness killed by guns and arrows of the red
demons. The chief appeared yesterday in a suit of Mr. Bullwinkle's
on the battlefield... August 12 Capt Adams' daughter died this
morning from the effects of her wound. Poor father and mother
lost one son and one daughter, all of his teams, clothing and
four thousand dollars. Is left dependent on the bounty of
strangers. 1<HJ

Much of the trail passed across land that was recognized as
Indian Territory or Indian reserves and reservations by the United States
government. Treaties were made with the Indians to allow emigrants to pass
across the Indian lands, but as the number of emigrants swelled to the
thousands and the emigrants made new branches off the old trails, the Indians
became alarmed by the disappearance of the game upon which their livelihood
depended and by the competition for the grass where they grazed their
ponies and by the heavy consumption of the water supplies upon which Indian
villages depended.

In 1848 the Pawnees demanded pay from the emigrants for crossing
Indian lands. Keturah Belknap described this. "They come out by the
thousands and want pay for us crossing their country." She does not say
whether her train paid for their passage across the Indian lands.149

Mary Warner noted that the Indians near Fort Laramie did not

allow emigrants to graze Indian grasslands. She wrote,

May 8. We passed Laramie about noon. Mr. Lord crossed the river
and went over to the Post Office. Went five miles farther. . .After
going five miles we camped on the Platte near some Indian wigwams
where we had a very good camping ground. There was good grass but
the Indians did not want us to stay there for they wanted the
grass for their ponies. u

The emigrants were not always the victims, sometimes they were

the aggressors. A few emigrants plundered and threatened and even killed

Indians. Jane Tourtillot recorded one instance when emigrants burned indian

houses ten days after the massacre of the wagon train in 1862. She wrote,

August 21. The road was rough some of the way. Some steep hills
to pass over. We saw several Indians today for the first time
They were Snakes. One of them said that he was chief. Three
of the men in the Newburn train burned their wigwams in their
absence. They came on at noon, were very indignant about it and
wanted us to pay for it. Captain Walker told them who it was that
burned them. They got quite acgood deal of bread and bacon from
different ones from our camp.Ibr

Patti Sessions needed wood for her cook fire in 1847 and she found

an uninhabited wickiup to use for firewood. She wrote, "Found old indian

wickeups to burn in it (the stove) we burnt their wickeups for wood." 152

Incidents like these where emigrants innocently or occasionally not so

innocently destroyed indian property could have changed the Indians' attitudes

toward the emigrant trespassers on Indian property.

Celinda Hines reported an incident in 1853 when two packers (men

returning from Oregon to the States riding mules) shot and killed a Snake

Indian who had threatened and shot at them. Fleeing from the Indians, these

two packers sought protection for the night in the Hines wagon train. The

Train members voted against their staying because there were so many women

and children in the train. A nearby train of 21 well-armed men took in the

endangered men, and there were no further incidents. 153

In 1851 Elizabeth Wood described an incident when the Indians

did not start the fight. She wrote, "August 19 (near Salmon Falls) This

morning we expected a fuss with the Indians; one shot from across the river

and killed a cow and then snapped his gun many times at the men, some one of

whom had killed the Indians dog. It is not always that the Indians are the

aggressors. . ." 154

75
In 1854 Mary Burr-ell reported that her party drew guns on the Indians
who asked them to pay a toll for crossing a bridge. She wrote, "The Indians
tried to make us pay toll at the little bridge, but we showed pistols and
they let us pass." (near the Elk Horn River)155Incidents like these
did not create friendly relationships between Indian and emigrant.

In Idaho and Oregon the emigrants frequently traded with the Indians
for fish and ponies. On the Boise River in Idaho the Indians liked to get
clothing and rifles. Cecelia Adams reported that her company traded guns
for ponies in 1853.

These Indians have a great many fine ponies, and most of them
have guns and ammunition, and many of them have almost a complete
suit of clothes, which they have got of the emigrants. They
will trade a very good pony for a good rigle or a coat. Our
company traded two guns for two ponies.156

Lydia Rudd traded her apron to the same indians in 1852. She wrote,
"I traded an apron today for a pair of moccasins of the Indians." A little
later Lydia traded an old shirt and some needles for a large salmon. "Bought
a salmon fish of an indian today weighing seven or eight pounds gave
him an old shirt, some bread, and a sewing needle."157

In 1853 Celinda Hines traded clothing for fish. She wrote,

In. the morning a great many Indians came to camp with fish which
they wished to exchange for clothing. We bought a number The
Indians the Diggers cannot understand the English language.. '.These
Indians are dressed in any old clothing they can get from the
emigrants. Some of them have on one garment. ..others are fully
clad. They seem most anxious to get shirts and socks. 15S

Sarah Cranstone traded for fish several times in Idaho and Oregon.
She wrote, "Five more miles to Salmon falls where we encamped for the night.
Here the Indians met us with salmon to swap for clothes. The largest weighed
20 pounds." 159

76
Elizabeth Goltra recorded that these Indians tried to trade for

ammunition and clothing. She wrote, "A few Indians about our camp this

morning trading moccasins etc. for shirts, powder and balls..."160

In Idaho and Oregon the Indians raised vegetables, and the emigrants
were hungry for fresh vegetables after several months on the trail without
any fresh vegetables. In 1847 Elizabeth Geer found the Indians trading
their potatoes and wrote, "October 30 Men making rafts, women cooking and
washing Children crying. Indians bartering potatoes for shirts."151

Catherine Washburn ate Indian grown vegetables in 1853. She wrote,
"Camped on a spring branch by a Indian garden they had some good corn
and potatoes we bought some for supper." 16^

Celinda Hines bought peas and potatoes grown in Indian gardens.
She wrote, "In the evening some Indians came, of whom we bought some peas and
potatoes, paying $1.00 for four quarts of peas and the same for one mess
of potatoes. These Kayuse Indians seem rather intelligent and often well
dressed." 163

Near Oregon some emigrants traded one kind of food for another.

Celinda Hines wrote about her trading encounter with some Indian women.

September 5. Went about seven miles to Grand Ronde.. .Camped near
a pretty mountain stream. Indian loeges near. Thronged with
Indians during our stay. Some belong to the Kayuses, some to
the Nez Perces. ..Before noon we met many, mostly women on ponies,
who said they were traveling to the Shoshone country. They had
peas with them for food which they would swap for flour or
bread. One porposed to swap her baby for a skirt. l°*

Cecelia Adams found the Indians ready to trade at Bannack Creek.
She wrote,

Here we find indians with some very nice salmon for sale and
■ we all got a good supply. They will trade them for powder, lead,
caps, bread, beads, brass nails, old shirts, or almost anything
you have. ..where the indians catch their salmon in traps.165

77
At Hams Fork Sarah Cranstone found Indians with trout instead of

salmon. She wrote, "In four miles we came to Hams Fork, quite a stream. Lots

of indians there with trout to swap for bread."155

Mary Burrel traded her bread for trout. She wrote, "Bought four
nice salmon trout of some nearly naked indians for a loaf of bread and some
crackers... One indian stole Wes' fishhook and he followed on after him
threatening to shoot if not delivered. He gave it up and ran for life."157

The lifestyle of the Indians of Idaho and Oregon interested the emigrant

women. Their diaries and journals contain observations and descriptions of

the treatment and dress of Indian children, the foods grown, hunted, and cooked

by the Indians, and Indian dances. Narcissa Whitman was moved to pity when

she saw an Indian infant whose head was being flattened. In 1836 she wrote,

I saw an infant here (at Cascades) whose head was in the pressing
machine. This was a ptitful sight. Its mother took great satis-
faction in unbinding and showing its naked head to us. The
child lay upon a board between which and its head was a squirrel
skin. On its forehead laid a small square cushion, over which was
a bandage drawn tight around pressing its head against the board.
In this position it is kept three or four months, or longer, until
the head becomes a fashionable shape. ..I saw a child about a year-
old whose head had been recently released from its pressure as I
suppose from its looks. All the back part of it was of a purple
color as if it had been sadly bruised. We are told this custom
is wearing away very fast, there is only a few tribes on this
river who practice it.16"

The Indians' habit of picking nits out of each other hair appalled
Helen Stewart in 1853. She wrote, "We was near an indian village... they ware
the dirtiest creatures I ever saw they will pick the lice out there head
and eat them and then the filth of their clothes..." 159

Sarah Smith witnessed this same activity in 1838. She wrote,
"One old squaw was very busy hunting eating lice from her child's head. This
is a common practice."170

78
Charlotte Pengra was annoyed by another activity of some Indians

who were camped near the ferry on the Snake River. Charlotte wrote,

We had an all night serenade by the Indians who have a shade
a few rods up the river. They sang or chanted and gambled for
Mockingsons leggens and such things all night keeping us awake much
Ve ^t; TheJr music a"d manner of singing is certainly curious
and laughable. They keep time with the body from the hips up
making their shoulders and arms move, sometimes rapidly and
sometimes slowly. i/i

A few of the women journal writers became involved with Indians they
met on the trail. Myra Eel Is and Mary Walker sewed dresses for many of the
Indian, wives of the fur traders in their caravan and at the rendezvous in
Wyoming. Eliza Spalding worked to put the Nez Perces language in
written form at the mission in the Oregon Territory.172

Eliza McAuley became friends with an Indian she met at Smith's Fork
of the Bear River while the men in her party were building a new road. Eliza
wrote ,

1852. At dinner time a very intelligent indian named Poro came to
our camp. He says he has been to the Missouri River and seen
steamboats and explained by signs what they were like. He seems
to understand the customs of the whites very well. In the afternoon
he came again, bringing his little boy, four or five years old
He interpreted a number of indian words for us... Poro visited us
again and brought his friend Pavee to see us.. .Old Poro came alonq
about ten o clock and stayed a long time, teaching us his
language. It pleases him very much to see us try to learn it
Poro came twice today to bid us goodbye and feels very sad about
our going. i/J

The California-bound emigrants met the Indians of the Great Basin

on the last leg of their trip. These tribes included the Shoshone, the

Plutes, the Utes, and others. In 1857 Helen Carpenter described some Indian

problems near the Humboldt valley on her trip to California.

... He brought back news of Indian depredations. Four or five
days ago some two or three wagons were taken and six or seven men
and two women were killed. Only one man escaped. As Uncle Sam's
had three wagons and a number of men we are feeling anxious about
them. Two men of another train were killed and in another a man
was wounded. This latter was guarding stock and an Indian crawled

79
in the grass until near enough to shoot which he did hitting
him in the lower part of the leg. There was 300 head of cattle
but the Indians only succeeded in running off 60 head and one
horse... There is strong talk of starting on an Indian hunt
tomorrow. It is said there are 15 trains within four or five
miles of us and 200 men. The train that lost the stock has
taken an Indian prisoner... a party went out the next day after
the stock was taken. They had no difficulty in following the trail
of the stock but did not dare to go as far as the party was small.
...The prisoner took the party directly to the Indian camp. Before
they were aware of its close proximity Indians were seen running
to the brush. They seemed to be all women and children. Only
one old man was sighted. He ran in some willows that overhung
the creek bank and crawled in. They tried to make him come out,
but he would not so they shot into the brush and he immediately
set up a very queer wail which was thought to be a death chant. It
did not long continue. Three women, the mother and sisters of
the prisoner, were captured. Reel (Helen's husband) was riding
after one of them when she suddenly dropped to the ground. He
was looking ahead when his horse stumbled over her. After dropping
to the ground she had crawled back towards him. The party was
mostly Missourians, and some of them were disposed to treat the
squaws as the Border Ruffians did the women of Kansas. Fortunately
there were enough real men to protect the squaws. Some were for
having the squaws killed, but they were not injured in any way only
held as prisoners until the party was ready to leave. Eighteen
head of the stock had been killed and the carcasses were lying near.
The skins were already doing duty as 'wickyups'. They were sewed
together and stretched around poles set in conical form with an
opening at the top for the smoke to escape. The hind quarters
seemed to be all they were going to make use of. All the rest of
the animal was left. . .

The squaws were told that unless they brought ten ponies inside
of two days that the Indian (prisoner) would be killed. Whether
they fully understood it or not they were not certain, but the
ponies were not brought. The prisoner was made to drive the
cattle back, and some of the party made it as hard for him as they
could. He was quite foot sore from running over the rocks. After
the cattle were returned to Harp, and the boys had gone to their
separate camps, Harp's company whipped the Indian with ramrods
raising great welts on his back. Parties interfered and took him
to McVay's camp to be set at liberty the next morning.174

None of the California-bound women liked the eating habits of

the Indians at the end of the trail, especially not the locust eaters.

Algeline Ashley described these insect eaters, "Crossed Bear River the

day before; Saw the Utah Indians gathering locusts in old basins and bags

to eat. They gather them very fast, pulling one wing off so they cannot

fly. They are very low Indians and very ugly looking."175

80
The emigrants traded with these Great Basin Indian tribes. Mary

Jane Burrel traded an old white shirt for a looking glass. She wrote,

"Many Utah Indians visited our camp at noon. Real imposers on emigrants,

beggars. Swapped an old white shirt for a pocket looking glass."

The Spanish influence was noted here among the Great Basin Indians

just as the French influence was reported among most of the other Indians

along the trail. Helen Stewart noted this in her diary in 1853.

There is a great many Spaniards there they all had squaws
one of them was making a bonet for her baby... she was putting
beads on it. ..she was putting fringe round the front of it of
dimes she had so many of them I counted eleven gold dollars
and I do not know how many there might be of dimes...1''

Indian burial practices in the Great Basin differed from the

burial customs of the other Indians along the trail. Helen Clark witnessed

on Indian burial ceremony in 1860 near Fort Ogden, Utah. She wrote,

There has been two Indian burials not far from our camp. The
last was the Chief's brother. He was wrapped in skins tied
around him with lariatts and laid upon a horse. He was
carried up into the mountains followed by the whole tribe who
were howling and screaming most hideously. His horse and colt
were sacrificed upon his grave. His bow, gun and other implements
were placed in the grave too. After this ceremony was over
they returned in great glee through the Fort.178

Almost all of the women journalists on the trail shared one common
opinion about the Indians. Nearly unanimously they disapproved of the
marriage of a white man and an Indian woman. Rebecca Ketcham wrote her
opinion, "It is perfectly astonishing to me how a man who has ever seen
civilized people can intermarry with the natives and be contented to settle
down and live as they do."

Mary Fish also disapproved. "We saw a white man in one of the
lodges (indian) with a squaw so I presume he is for amalgamations." 180

Sarah Sutton did not believe that a white man should marry an
Indian woman either. She wrote, "I don't believe any man of a good

principle will live here with the Indians and their smoky buffalo skin
wigwams with a slick greasy hole to slip in at like a wolf..."

Rebecca Ketcham did not approve of marriages that matched a white
man with an Indian woman, and she discussed her opinion in her journal.

We soon came to a log house and two Indian lodges. Here we
found Capt. Grant (Richard Grant who was in charge of Fort
Hall for the Hudson's Bay Company 1842-1851). Mr. Gray knew
him years ago when he was in the Hunson's Bay company. From
his appearance I think he must once have been a splendid
looking man. He has his second wife. His first was a native
woman, a half-breed. She was a widow when he married her.
It is perfectly astonishing to me how a man who has ever seen
civilized people can intermarry with the natives and be contented
to settle down and live as they do. His wife and two or three
little girls had dresses on and looked decent, but were in
an Indian lodge, and nothing about them looked decent or
comfortable. There was a good many Indians around them,
probably their servants. I heard the Captain speak to his
wife. He spoke pleasantly, even fondly, to them. He has„charge
of Fort Hall but is up here to trade with the emigrants.1

Figure 2. Sketch of
Indian by Lodisa
Frizzell.182

82
None of the women fully explained her reasons for disapproval, but

in general the writers had the opinion that Indian women were lazy or

indolent. Helen Clark was the only emigrant woman writer who even hinted

at understanding the Indian woman.

I do not wonder that squaws are so indolent for since we have
have been dwellers in tents I feel that to throw myself upon
the ground is luxurient ease, ree from the restraints of
etiquette is pleasant. 183

In their diaries and journals the women expressed more feelings of

cariosity and interest in the Indians than feelings of fear or retreating.

At the times when there was violence between emigrants and Indians, the

women wrote more negative statements about the Indians and expressed fear,

but the women did not condemn all Indians for one tribe's depredations. The

women described and recognized the differences among the tribes of Indians

on the trail.

MORMONS

The Mormons were a second group of people to whom most emigrants
were first introduced on the trail. The women emigrants were almost as
curious about Mormons as they were about the Indians.

Mormons travelled together in wagon trains and usually did not

mingle with other emigrants on the trail. The women often described the

Mormon travellers and Mormon towns. In 1857 Helen Carpenter described

a party of Mormons whom she met on the trail.

Met a large party of Mormons going to the states. There seemed
to be twice as many women as men and twice as many children as
women. All were in rags and tatters and, must I say it, scabs.
They were the worst lot I ever saw. All who were large enough
were out of the wagons holding out rusty kettles and pans begging
for milk. lb*

Mary Fish met a train of Mormons with handcarts at Pacific Springs

(Wyoming) in 1860. She wrote,

83
There is said to be a train of 600 hand carts on the road
drawn by Mormon women four women to each cart. I think that
they are badly in want of husbands when they put themselves on
a level with brutes. And after all their labor to get only
one third or perhaps one twentieth of a man.185

Salt Lake City was on the trail for many emigrants going to California

after 1847. Women emigrants to California wrote some interesting diary

and journal entries about their visit to this city. Harriet Ward visited

Salt Lake in 1853 and wrote, "We now came to the Mormon quarantine, where

were requested to report of the health of our company." A day later she

wrote,

They boast that men are all owed a plurality of wives for the
purpose of raising up a perfect race to inhabit this new
Jerusalem forever, but not one of them believes a word they
presch, and they are a miserable lot of extortioners upon whom
the wrath of God will yet be poured out.18°

In the next year Mary Burrel saw Mormons building a wall around
the city and wrote, "They are also about constructing a wall around the city
of clay, 12 foot high and 6 foot through at the base." West of the city
Mary wrote, "Grain looked well, wheat in bloom. Corn looked well. Grass
hard to find, it being fenced up." 187

Helen Carpenter heard about a Mormon order in 1857 and described
this in her journal. "September 21. Brigham Young has ordered all Mormons
back to Salt Lake and they must go." 188

Lucy Cooke and her family arrived in Salt Lake City in August and

decided to stay there for the winter and wait until the next Spring to

complete their journey to California. The family all imnediately started

looking for work for the winter. On her first day in the city Lucy met a

Mormon man who proposed, but she declined his attentions and then wrote,

. The ,nan kept on this convincing strain as we jogged along the
country road, and finally he magnanimously offered to take me,
baby and all and have me sealed to him and thus have my entrance
secured in the Celestial City, providing I would leave William
and cling to this old scamp's skirts.18*

CHAPTER 2 FOOTNOTES

Sallie Hester, "The Diary of a Young Girl ," in Covered Wagon Women, ed
Kenneth L. Holmes (Glendale, California: The Arthur L. CTark Company, 1983),
p. 238.

Sarah Sutton, "A Survey," copy in "Miscellaneous Overland Journeys Collection
Oregon Historical Society Library, Portland, p. 40.

Hadley, p. 8.

4
Helen Stewart, p. 6.

Mary Eliza Warner, "Diary of Mary Eliza Warner 1864," typescript in The Bancroft
Library, University of California at Berkeley, May 22 entry.

Carpenter, p. 171.

Eliza McAuley, "Mother's Diary. A Record of a Journey across the Plains in '52,"
typescript in Overland Journal Collection, The Bancroft Library, University of'
California at Berkeley, p. 34.

Amelia Knight, "Diary of Mrs. Amelia Stewart Knight," in Women's Diaries of
the Westward Journey,' ed. Lillian Schlissel (New York: Schocken Books, 1982)
p. ZW. '

9
Cooke, p. 24.

Carpenter, p. 187.

UKnight, p. 209.

12
Belshaw, p. 17.

13Knight, p. 210.

14
Jane Tourtillot, "Touring from Mitchell, Iowa to California, 1862," in Women's

^-arles of the Wes?rward Jour"e.y. ed. Lillian Schlissel (New York: Schocken

Books, lWTTp. 222.

Catherine Washburn, "The Journal of Catherine Amanda Stansbury Washburn, Iowa
to Oregon, 1853," typescript in Lane County Historical Society, Eugene, Oreqon
p. 14. " *

Charlotte Pengra, "Diary of Mrs. Bynon J. Pengra," typescript in Lane County
Historical Society, Eugene, Oregon, p. 20.

Mrs. Francis Sawyer, "Diary, 1852," manuscript in Overland Journal Collection,
The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley, June 18 entry.

18
dard, p. 53.

Tourtillot, p. 222.

20x.
These activities are discussed in more detail in Chapter 3 page 140.

21
Cooke, p. 35.

22Sanford, p. 127.

23
Norton, p. 23.

24
Margaret Frink, Journal of the Adventures of a_ Party of California Gold
Seekers, (privately printed, no date), p. 116.

25
Lydia Rudd, "Notes by the Wayside Enroute to Oregon 1852," in Women's
Diaries of the Westward Journey, ed. Lillian Schlissel (New York: Schocken
Books, lWJTp. 189.

26Cooke. p. 28.

27Frink, p. 37.

Carpenter, p. 114.

29
Reed, p. 278.

30
Washburn, p. 28.

31
Helen Stewart, p. 2.

Belshaw, p. 30.

33
Childbirth on the trail is discussed in more detail in Chapter 3 page 114 of
this paper.

34
Kate Dunlap, The Montana Gold Rush Diary of Kate Dunlap, (Denver- Old West
Publishing Company, 1969), p. UTT

35Ward, p. 127.

Lodisa Frizzell, Across the Plains to California in 1852, (New York- New
York Public Library, 1915T7 p. 22.

Mary Burrel , "Diary of Mary Burrel Crossing the Plains April— September, 1854 "
typescript in Collection of William Robertson Coe, Yale University Library
New Haven, p. 27. '

57 86

Agnes Stewart, "The Journey to Oregon— A Pioneer Girl's Diary," Quarterly
of the Oregon Historical Society 29 (1928), p. 89.

Sarah Smith, "Diary of Sarah Smith," in First White Women over the Rockies

ed. C. M. Drury (Glendale, California: The Arthur C1arFToIpIny7T95377Tn: 94.

■ 59

Myra Eells, "Diaries of Myra Eel Is and Mary Walker April to September 1838,"
1n First White Women over the Rockies, ed. C. M. Drury (Glendale, California:
The ARthur Clark Company, 196"3), II: 99.

Reed, p. 278.

Belknap, p. 64-65.

Frink, p. 64.

3Wood, p. 193.

64
Hadley, p. 37.

Harriet Clark, "Overland Diary of Harriet T. Clark, 1851," typescript in
Miscellaneous Journeys to the Pacific collection, Oregon Historical Society
Library, Portland, p. 19.

Cecelia Emily McMillen Adams, "Crossing the Plains in 1852," Transactions of
the Oregon Pioneer Association (1904), p. 298.

Mary Stuart Bailey, "A Journal of Mary Stuart Bailey," in Ho for California,
ed. Sandra L. Myres (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 19^07l~p. 69.

Rudd, p. 192.
Hanna, p. 15.
Sawyer, July 4 entry.

Helen Stewart, p. 90.

72
Agnes Stewart, p. 90.

73
Celinda E. Hines, "Diary of Celinda Hines," Transactions of the Oreqon Pioneer
Association 46 (1918), p. 100. a

74
Ward, p. 87.

Elizabeth Julia Goltra, "Journal Kept by Mrs. E. J. Goltra of Her Travels across
the Plains in the Year 1853," typescript Ms 1508, Oregon Historical Society
Li brary, Portland, p. 10.

Belshaw, p. 21.

Burrel, p. 23.

78
Sutton, p. 47.

38
Harriet Booth Griswold, "1859 Diary," Ms 884A in Archives and Manuscript
Division, California State Historical Society, San Francisco, p. 13.

39
Susan Cranstone, "Daily Journal 1851," typescript in Miscellaneous Journeys
to the Pacific collection, Oregon Historical Society Library, Portland, p. 6.

40
Dunlap, p. 26.

42
Frink, p. 110.

43
Pengra, p. 19.

44
Carpenter, p 164.

45
Frink, p. 89.

46
Griswold, p. 53.

47
Esther Lyman, "Esther Brakeman Lyman Journal-Letter, 1853," typescript, Lane
County Historical Society, Eugene, Oregon, p. 10.

48
Rudd, p. 194.

49
Lyman, p. 10.

Esther Hanna, "Journal of Esther Belle Hanna, 1852," typescript in Miscellaneous
Journeys to the Pacific collection, Oregon Historical Society Library, Portland,

TteAuley, p. 27.

52
Ibic. p. 26.

53
Mary Jane Guill, "The Overland Diary of a Journey from Livingston County
Missouri to Butte County, California May 5 to September 5, 1860," typescript
California State Library, Sacramento, p. 7. '

54
Ward, p. 109.

55
Geer, p. 165. On page 114 in Covered Wagon Women the editor Kenneth Holmes notes
That the boy John did not get 'his brains knocked out.' The family name was
spelled Markham. In 1852 another son was born to this couple in Oregon, and
he was named Charles Edward Anson Markham. Later this boy took the name
Edwin and became the well-known poet who wrote "The Man with the Hoe " Edwin's
parents were divorced in Oregon.

56
p. 145

Keturah Belknap, "Keturah Penton Belknap," in Women of the West, ed. Kathy
Luchetti and Carol Olwell, (St. George, Utah: Antelope Island Press, 1982),

79
Carpenter, p. 127.

80n .

Bnswold, p. 23.

Norton, p. 26.

82Fish, p. 13.

83Guill, p. 7.

84
Tourtillot, p. 222.

Louisa Rahm, "Diary 1862," Ms Box 697:12 CF 131, The Bancroft Library
University of California at Berkeley, July 4 entry.

fifi

Abbey Fulkerth, "Diary April-August 1863, Iowa to California," Ms Box 546-13
C-F 133, The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley, p. 50.
87
Elizabeth Lee Porter, "Crossing the Plains— A Diary," Ms 1508, Oreqon
Historical Society, Portland, p. 3.

Dunlap, p. 14.

89
Mary Eliza Warner, July 4 entry.

90
Sarah Herndon, Days on the Road, (New York: Burr Printing House, 1903), p. 130.

Patty Sessions, "A Pioneer Mormon Diary," in Covered Wagon Women, ed. Kenneth
L. Holmes (Glendale, California: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1983), p. 179.

92
Helen Clark, The Diary of Helen Clark (Denver, a private book press, no date),

93
Helen Stewart, p. 7.

Cooke, p. 25.

Narcissa Whitman, "Mrs. Whitman's Diary; March to July 1836," in First White
Women over the Rockies (Glendale, California: The Arthur H. ClarkTomp"an^~T963) ,

Mary Eliza Warner, April 29 entry.

97
Carpenter, p. 118.

Ibid. p. 142.

Frink, p. 115.
Frizzell , p. 28.
Cooke, p. 26.

102

Rudd, p. 192.

103r- L ia

Cooke, p. 34.

104Hadley, p. 24.

105,. .

Fish, p. 15.

106McAuley, p. 28.

107Guill,p. 3.

1 no

Helen Clark, p. 22.

Smith, p. 84.

110Ibid. , p. 80.

1UIbid., p. 94.
112,

'Myra Eel Is, "Diaries of Myra Eel Is and Mary Walker April to September 1838,"

in First White Women over the Rockies (Glendale, California: The Arthur H.

Clark Company, 1963), 11:77!

Hanna, p. 6.

Frizzell , p. 17.

115c **

Sutton, p. 17.

116Guill, p. 5.

Herndon, p. 81.

1 1 8

Frink, p. 122.

119

See pages 130-1 for more information about bloomers on the trail.

120

Cranstone, p. 2.

121„

McAuley, p. 13.

122Helen Clark, p. 38.

123

Ibid., p. 39.

124

Ward, p. 78.

125

Helen Stewart, p. 15.

126,. „

Sutton, p. 24.

127

Dunlap, June 16 entry.

128 90

Belshaw, p. 15.

129

Fisher, p. 101.

130

1JUHadley, p. 20.

Cranstone, p. 4.

132

Ashley, p. 1.

133

Cooke, p. 66.

Frink, p. 46.

135Dutro, 1852 letter.

1 3fi

Norton, p. 36.

Mary Elizabeth Parkhurst Warner, May 7 entry.

138

Mary Eliza Warner, May 7 entry.

139

Hines, p. 97.

14CL

Burrel , p. 14.

141,

Carpenter, p. 116.

142

Wood, p. _ 197 .

143

Guill , p. 4.

144

Helen Clark, p. 37.

145

Pengra, p. 28.

146

Belshaw, p. 18.

147

Sawyer, May 26 entry.

148

Tourtillot, p. 224.

149

Belknap, p. 145.

Mary Elizabeth Parkhurst Warner, May 8 entry.

Tourtillot, p. 226.

Sessions, p. 168.

153.,,.

Hines, p. 103.

154,, „„„ 91

Wood, p. 200.

155„

Burrel , p. 2.

Adams, p. 316.

157Rudd, p. 193.

1 CQ

Hines, p. 114.

159

Cranstone, p. 10.

Goltra, p. 16.

Geer, p. 169.

162,. ,

Washburn, p. 28.

163

Hines, p. 117.

164Ibid., p. 118.

Adams, p. 312.

166,.

Cranstone, p. 8.

Burrel , p. 29.

168,,....

Whitman, p. 99.

Helen Stewart, p. 25.

170Smith, p. 98.

Pengra, p. 46.

172

Eliza Hart Spalding, "Diary of Eliza Hart Spalding," in First White
Women over the Rockies (Glendale, California: The Arthur H. Clark
Tympany, 1963), 1: 199.

173McAuley, p. 36.

174

Carpenter, p. 168-174.

175. .,

Ashley, p. 8.

Burrel, p. 20.

Helen Stewart, p. 19.

178
179

180

Clark, p. 26.
Ketcham, p. 371.
Fish, p. 10.

181

182
183
184

Ketcham, p. 371.
Frizzell, opposite page 1.
Clark, p. 18.
Carpenter, p. 103.

185Fish, p. 16.
186

187

188,

189

Ward, p.:i20.
Burrel , p. 22
Carpenter, p. 180.
Cooke, p. 38.

CHAPTER 3 THE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE ON THE TRAIL

"Just think of it-brave enough to cross the plains, but not brave enouqh
to wear bloomers." --Mary Warner

"Those were the days that tried men's souls and bodies too, and women's
constitutions; they worked the muscle on and it was there to stav "
--Keturah Belknap

"The prairie, oh the broad the beautiful, the bounding, beautiful prairie
I never saw anything as beautiful." —Rebecca Ketcham

I then made griddle cakes, fried meat and made coffee for breakfast, washed
and dressed Stella, and after we had eaten, gathered up the dishes, and
packed them dirty for the first time since I started." -Charlotte Pengra

But I was half frantic over the idea that every blade of grass for miles on
each side of the road would be eaten off by the hundreds and thousands of
horses, mules, and oxen ahead of us. And worse than all there would only be
a few barrels of gold left for us when we got to California." -Margaret Frink

The trip to California or Oregon was a great adventure for all men,
women, and children who made the journey, but the women's collective experience
and the women's perception of this adventure were different from the men's.
There was no standard or average woman's journey. From the preparation for
the journey to the arrival in Oregon or California, the trip experience was
characterized by variety and diversity among the 62 women who chronicled their
journey across the continent in letters, diaries, and journals.

PREPARATION

The women's preparation ranged from detailed plans and months of
preparing to a quick decision and hasty preparation made on the night before
departure. The quality of the preparations for the trip was often directly
related to the success and ease of the trip itself. Some travellers made
little preparation and often regretted this by the second or third week on
the trail. Mrs. George Donner, in the ill-fated Donner party of 1846, wrote
a letter home as her party was camped at the junction of the North Platte
and the South Platte Rivers. She wrote,

Our preparations for the journey, in some respects, might have
been bettered. Bread has been the principal article of food in
our camp. We laid in 150 pounds of flour and 75 pounds of meat
for each individual, and I fear bread will be scarce.

95
Some emigrants made elaborate preparations for their trip across

the plains, and these careful preparations usually resulted in more

. successful and comfortable trips. Keturah Belknap described the careful

plans and preparations which she and her husband made during the winter

prior to their journey. She wrote,

Now I will begin to work and plan to make everything with an
eye to starting out on a six-month trip, the first thing is
lay plans and then work up to the program so the first thing
is to make a piece of linen for a wagon cover and some sacks-
will spin mostly evenings while my husband reads to me... 2

The women talked most about sewing projects and food preparations,

and appeared to be most responsible for these two aspects of planning

and preparing for the trip. Sewing projects included making tents, wagon

covers, sacks to hold provisions, and clothing for themselves and their

families.

In 1838 missionary Myra Eel Is described the tent she "made of

duck. "3 celinda Hines spent two days sewing on her tent in Kansas City

on April 6 and 7 in 1853. In the same year Rebecca Ketcham made a tent

while her party was making final preparations at Westport. As soon as

she finished the tent her family moved out onto the prairie and started

camping in it. Rebecca wrote in her journal,

While we were at the house in Westport, we ladies had the
tents and wagon-covers and numerous other articles to make This
together with overseeing the men in the cooking operations, kept
us pretty busy. After we had finished the tents we moved out
on the prairie. 4

Sewing wagon covers was another important project. Celinda Hines
helped her mother and aunt make their wagon cover. At Kansas City she
wrote, "Aunt L., J. and Mother and myself sewed on the wagon covers."5

Keturah Belknap made a two layer wagon cover and described it
in some detail in her journal. She wrote,

96
.'...will make a muslin cover for the wagon as we will have a
double cover so we can keep warm and dry, put the muslin on
first and then the heavy linen on for strength. They both have
to be sewed real good and strong and I have to spin the thread and
and dew all those long seams with my fingers. then I have to make
a new feather tick for my bed... the linene work is ready to go to
work on and six two-bushel bags all ready to sew up... Have cut
out two pairs of pants for George. 6

Many of the women sewed bags or sacks to use for storage containers

in their wagons. In 1838 Myra Eells reported that she "made some bags."

Keturah Belknap made sacks of different sizes. She wrote,

The sacks are made of home-made linen and will hold 125 pounds-
four sacks of flour and one of cornmeal . Now comes the groceries-
we will make a wall of smaller sacks stood on end, dried apples
and peaches, beans, rice, sugar, and coffee.. .everything must be
in strong bags, no paper wrapping for this trip.'

Food supplies for the trip were usually planned and purchased by the

woman and men working together. Many families waited until they reached

the Missouri River to purchase the large food supplies needed to nourish the

emigrants for the following four to six months. In 1853 Catherine Washburn

wrote ,

Arrived, at Coonville this morning stopt and camped we got
our outfit at this place bought five barrels of flour we
have eleven-hundred weight of flour five hundred of meat three
busels of aples half bushel of peeches forty pounds shugar
twenty five of rice three poinds of tea six gallons of
molasses one eight gallon keg full of pickles and four gals
lard.o

Margaret Frink and her husband purchased a typical list of supplies
in 1850. She wrote,

Our outfit for provisions was plenty of hams and bacon, covered
with care from the dust, apples, peaches, and preserved fruits of
different kinds, rice, coffee, tea, beans, flour, corn-meal,
crackers, sea biscuit, butter, and lard. 9

Dried fruits and vegetables were purchased for the trip by some

emigrants. Eliza McAuley wrote, "We have a plentiful supply of provisions

including dried fruits and vegetables, also a quantity of light bread cut

in slices and dried for used when it is not convenient to bake. "10

97
The guide books, other emigrants, and even the outfitting stores

had advice about the food supplies needed on the journey.11

The clothing for the trip was usually sewed and/or purchased by

the women. In 1838 Myra Eells described a sensible wardrobe for the trail.

lady should have a good green merino or pongee dress, and a
loose calico dress to wear when she does not need her cloak
Her underclothes as well as the gentlemens should all be colored
They ought to have three changes to wear on the journey. They
should have a Florence bonnet or a variegated straw . A lady
should haye a pair of gentlemen's calf shoes, and be well-supplied
with stockings and shoes.*2 r

Helen Carpenter purchased material to sew her trail wardrobe.
She wrote, "I got two pairs of shoes, calico for two spencer waistes,
jeans for a dress skirt, needles, pins and thread and so forth." 13

In addition to their food supplies and wardrobe, several women
planned and purchased a supply of medicines to carry in their wagons.
Elizabeth Geer described her medicine chest, "Laid in our flour, cheese,
crackers and medicine for no one should travel this road without medicine
for they are almost sure to have summer complaint. Each family should
have a box of physicking pills, a quart of castor oil, a quart of the best
rum and a large vial of peppermint essence."14

While the women were sewing and preparing food items, the men
were usually responsible for the purchase and preparation of the wagon and
the training of the livestock. Several of the women commented on the male
preparations. Keturah Belknap wrote in her journal, "Now it is March and we
have our team already and in good condition— three good yoke of oxen and a
good wagon. The company expect to start the tenth of April. George is
practicing with the oxen." 15

The women in Celinda Hines party did not have confidence in the
preparations being made" by the men in their party. Celinda wrote,

98
The provision wagon has five yokes of oxen attached, the baggage
wagon four, the light one three. The females, mother excepted,
walked nearly all of the way, six miles. We were afraid to ride
as the men were unaccustomed to driving oxen.16

Agnes Stewart also had reservations about riding in her wagon at the
start. She wrote, "What awkward attempts some of the men make at yoking the
cattle, some of them scarcely ever saw cattle before they started on this."17

Packing the wagons was the final step in preparing for the trip.
Every party did this differently, and many repacked their wagons after only
a couple of days on the trail. The way the wagon was loaded greatly affected
the work of the women. A lot of the things had to be unloaded and loaded
every day, and the women did a lot of this getting out and putting away.

In 1847 Keturah Belknap and her family packed their wagon with care.
She described this in detail.

April 9.. Our wagon is backed up the the steps we will load at
the hind end and shove the things in front. The first thing is a
big box that will just fit in the wagon bed that will have the
bacon, salt, and various other things then it will be covered
with a cover made of light boards nailed on two pieces of inch
plank about three inches wide this will serve us for a table
there is a hole at each corner and we have sticks sharpened
at one end so they will stick in the ground... now we will put
in the old chest that is packed with our clothes and things
we will want to wear and use on the way. The till is the medicine
chest.-iow there is a vacant place clear across that will be
large enough to set a chair— will set it with the back against
the side of the wagon there I will ride on the other side will
be a vacancy where little Jessie can play he has a few toys and
some marbles and some sticks for whip stocks some blocks for
oxen and I tie a string on the stick and he uses my work basket
for a covered wagon and plays going to Oregon.

The next thing is a box as high as the chest that is packed
with a few dishes and things we won't need till we get thru
and now we put in the long sacks of flour and other things.
The sacks are made of home-made linen and will hold 125 pounds-
four sacks of flour and one of corn meal. Now comes the g'roceries
we will make a wall of smaller sacks stood on end, dried apples
and peaches, beans, rice, sugar, and coffee-the latter being in
the green state, we will brown it in a skillet as we want to use it
everything must be in strong bags-no paper wrapping for this trip.
There is a corner left for the washtub and the lunch basket
will just fit in the tub the dishes we want to use will all be
in the basket... I have made four nice little table clothes so am
going to live just like I was at home.18

99
Another part of the preparation for a trip to California or Oregon

was the selection and purchase of a few sturdy and versatile cooking utensils

to use for food preparation on the trail. The cooking and eating equipment

which the emigrants bought and packed in their wagons varied greatly. Fancy

and heavy cookstoves, light and portable tin stoves, or just campfires were the

three most popular cooking methods on the trail.

FOOD AND DRINK

The diet of the emigrants on the trail affected their health, strength,
and comfort on the trail. For some emigrants the food they ate and beverages
they drank on the trail may have made the difference between success and
disaster. Some made elaborate preparations for the trip and prepared or
purchased dried fruits, vegetables, smoked hams and bacon, canned pickles
and fruit, and purchased staples such as flour, sugar, tea, rice, and
coffee at the jumping-off places. Other just purchased staples and hoped
to get by.

Different arrangements were made to supply fresh meat and milk
on the trail. Some emigrants took along milk cows to provide fresh milk
and butter every day while others drank only coffee or tea on the trail.
Some took along cattle and sheep to butcher and provide fresh meat enroute.
A few wagon trains employed hunters to go along and kill game to provide
the emigrants with fresh meat. Many of the emigrants hunted for game and
fished in streams and rivers, but hunting and fishing were not always
dependable sources of food.

The women were often the cooks so the responsibility for menu planning
and food preparation often rested on the women's shoulders. Their culinary
skills affected the quality of life on the trail for their family.

r„ r • 100

In a few parties the family hired a cook. Harriet Griswold and

Lucy Cooke supervised food preparation on the trail, but they cooked only
when they wanted to prepare something special. Harriet wrote, "We have a
boy to cook for our mess." 19

Lucy said, "Thomas and another young fellow do our cooking. We have
two little sheet-iron stoves.20

On most of their journey to Oregon, the missionary women in 1836 and

1838 did not do the cooking. Sarah Smith wrote, "Here I will remark that most

all the cooking is done by the gentlemen."21 Sarah did some cooking after they

arrived at the rendezvous and quit travelling with the fur company. The

missionaries were travelling light and fast so she did not have all the

equipment she needed for cooking and she had to invent. She wrote,

Spent the morning sewing on the hunter's dress and this afternoon
made a couple of pies, chopped the meat with a butcher knife on the
back of a cottonwood tree which Mr. S. pealed off. Rolled the
crust with a crooked stick in a hollow bark, baked them in the
tin baker out of doors in the wind but they were good and we have
a good supper/'

The same Mr. Gray who went with the missionary party in 1838 was also
the leader of another wagon train in 1853, and he did a lot of the cooking on
both trips. Rebecca Ketcham had paid Mr. Gray to make all arrangements and
deliver her to Oregon, but she was not happy with the way he cooked her food
nor with the food itself. She wrote,

For supper they made some crullers. All the biscuit has to be made
made with water. The crullers were made in the same way with the
addition of a little sugar. All the shortening we have is bacon
gravy. As there was a pretty good quantity of this gravy on hand
they made some crullers and fried them in it... We had enough left
for breakfast with some rice and beans and some stewed apples We
had supper and dinner together, and had graham flour pancakes They
were made pretty thick and baked in a frying pan. Mr. Gray does most
Of the cooking, and it is amusing to see some of his operations
I believe he generally makes out to wash his hands before he
commences, but I must say I think there is some dirt in our food.23

Two women were amused by the cooking methods employed by other members

of their wagon trains and described these at length in their diaries. Helen
Carpenter described the cooperative cooking efforts of the Farmer family.

Living as we do, I suppose it is permissible to note what the
the neighbors do and how they do it. The old gentleman Farmer is
very good to help 'mother' in the culinary arrangements. He makes
the fires, gets out the pots and kettles and the eatables and helps
generally while 'mother' makes the bread and coffee. 'Sister' is
too small to do more than be in the way. Then the four sons and men
ire ready for a meal each for the time being becomes his own cook so
there is no occasion for anyone to grumble. Willows are sharpened and
slices of bacon speared and held in the fire ad lib. It looks quite
amusing.'*

Sarah Herndon tried to help her neighbors who had left behind their
servants and were trying to learn to cook. She wrote,

When we started on this trip not one member of the family had ever
prepared an entire meal; they had always had a houseful of servants
to cook and do everything else for them. The first two or three
weeks Neelie and her mother tried to learn to cook, and mother and I
to teach them. It takes great patience to learn to bake in stoves
out of doors, they heat red-hot so quickly, and cool just as suddenly;
they must have careful attention all the time. . .Neelie does the
cooking with some assistance from her father such as getting wood,
making fires, bringing water, grinding the coffee etc. ..It is no
small undertaking to cook for a family of twelve."

Often the men and women shared the responsibilities for cooking. Sarah
Sutton usually helped the the other women, but the men did the cooking under
adverse conditions. Sarah wrote about the men cooking during a storm, "It
is storming so the women can't come out and the men have had a great time
getting breakfast and was good enough to bring us some to the wagon."26

Cooking over campfires and using sheet-iron cooking stoves were the

two most frequently used cooking methods mentioned in the women's diaries,

letters, and journals. Sallie Hester, Eliza McAuley, and Sarah Herndon all

use sheet-iron stoves. Eliza wrote about her family's cooking arrangements.

We have two saddle horses and a drove of 20 dairy cows, a good
sized tent and a sheet-iron camp stove which can be set up inside
making it warm and comfortable, no matter what the weather outside.
We have a plentiful supply of provisions, including dried fruits
and vegetables, also a quantity of light bread cut in slices and
dried for use when it is not convenient to bake. Our stove is
furnished with a reflector oven which bakes very nicely.27

102
Sallie Hester wrote a good description of her family's cooking

arrangements on the trail.

We. have a cooking stove made of sheet iron, a portable table,
tin plates and cups, cheap knives and forks, camp stools etc. We
sleep in our wagons on feather beds; the men who drive for us in the
tent. We live on bacon, ham, rice, tea, and milk as we have our own
cows. 28

In contrast to Sallie who had a stove, table, stools, and plates, cups,

knives, forks, and who slept in a wagon on a feather bed, Narcissa Whitman

was travelling very light on horseback. Narcissa ate on the ground, had only

a few utensils, and slept in a tent. Narcissa wrote,

Our table is the ground, our table-cloth is an Indian rubber cloth
used when it rains as a cloak; our dishes are made of tin, basins
for tea cups, iron spoons and plates for each of us and several pans
for milk and to put our meat in when we wish to set it upon the table-
each one carries his own knife in his scabbord: and it is always
ready for use.29

Cooking over an open fire was another option which was used by emigrants

who were trying to travel both light and fast. Esther Lyman wrote a detailed

description of how to build a fire on the ground. Her family abandoned their

'cook stove in an effort to lighten their load. She wrote,

I" might as well tell you here how we manage to build our fires
since we left the stove. We dig a trench about six inches in debth
one foot in width and between three and four feet in length. We lay
small bars of iron across the trench after the fire is kindled, then
it is ready for use. The worst trouble is in not having anything to
bake in. Joseph found a bake kettle but it did not have any cover,
but we can borrow one sometimes. 30

Finding fuel for the cooking fires was often a problem. Wood was

preferred if it was dry and if it was available. When wood was not handy

emigrants resorted to building their fires with buffalo chips, coal, or sage.

The women usually were not happy about cooking over buffalo chips. Mary

Dutro wrote, "We have used buffalo chips for cooking they do fine on the windy

plain where you can't keep the ashes out of your vittles, for my part I

prefer wood ashes. "31

103
Patty Sessions called this fuel buffalo dung. "Bake mince pies, bread,

and meat over buffalo dung. "32

Harriet Griswold wrote that the buffalo chips made a good hot fire.
"Wood being scarce cooked with fire made of buffalo chips which make a very
hot fire. ""

Mary Walker reported building her cook fire with coal, "...used prairie
coal for cooking. "34

Harriet Griswold also used sage for fuel. "Found willows but our
principle fuel has been the wild sage. "35

In spite of all of the problems, most women adapted very well to cooking
on the trail. Esther Hanna found out she could bake bread in a skillet over
a campfire. She wrote, "I am baking my first light bread on the prairie in a
skillet, get along cooking out better than I expected."36

The quality of the emigrant's diets depended upon what the emigrants
had brought with them, on how well they hunted and fished, and on how much
money they had to spend on buying food from the Indians, at the Forts and
trading posts along the trail. Harriet Griswold and her family purchased
the usual supplies at the beginning of the trail. She wrote, "We have laid
in our stores sufficient for five months if we should need them so long,
they consist of flour, bacon, hams, dried fruit, beans, potatoes, corn,
coffee, tea, pickles, and a few eggs." 37

From supplies like these emigrants made a variety of things. They
baked bread, ginger bread, biscuits, crackers, pies, corn bread, and fruit
cakes. Vegetable dishes eaten on the trail included baked, boiled, or fried
beans, potatoes, and rice. There was a real shortage of vegetables, especially
fresh vegetables in many trail diets.

104
Apples were the most popular fruit taken along on the trail. Apples and
other fruits were stewed, put into fruit cakes and pies.

Ham and bacon were the most frequently consumed meats on the trail. Game
killed along the trail, cattle slaughtered enroute, and fish caught in streams
and rivers provided a little variety for some emigrants.

Cooking was only a job to do for some women on the trail, but a few of
the women made real efforts to prepare nutritious and delicious food for their
parties. Two women in particular recorded many details of the cooking endeavors
and recorded interesting accounts of their efforts in their journals.
Charlotte Pengra prepared a good variety of foods and fed her family a well-
balanced diet. She frequently mentions cooking in her writing.

I baked cracker pudding, warm biscuits, and made tea, and after
supper stewed two pans of dried apples and made two loaves of bread,
got my work done up, beds made and child asleep and have written
in my journal .38

... baked this morning and stewed apples this afternoon commenced
washing got my white clothes ready to suds..." 39

"Up very early took a cold breakfast of beans, bread, and butter and
tea washed up the dishes packed the waggon... 40

... have baked a large quantity of biscuit, stewed apples and beans,
got supper, washed the dishes, made the bed and other things... 41

. .. since stopping stewed a pan of apples, a boiler of rice and
baked a large pan full of flour into biscuits. 42

Mary Barrel listed in her diary the foods she prepared on the trail.

Mary was a girl of 19 cooking with her mother on the trip. She was unmarried,

but her 'future' husband was travelling with the wagon train. Mary wrote,

Stewed apples, fried cakes, baked cakes and bread.

we washed and made two fruit cakes; had mush and milk for supper.

We washed and boiled ham; good feed.

Made fruit cakes, washed...

Spent the rest of the day in washing and baking pies and bread.

^asned, baked gingersnaps.43

105
The other women mention food occasionally in their diaries and
journals, often on occasions when they cooked special things. Keturah
Belknap cooked two special dishes and wrote, "Skillet of corn bread
and mince pies. "4*

Mary Walker baked special dishes after she left the rendezvous. She
wrote, "Baked some bread and assisted Mrs. Gray in making a pot pies."
Another day she, "Baked pudding, sewed on a hunting dress."46

In the same party Sarah Smith described a popular trail meal.
"Have taken our supper of fried ham, bread and a cup of tea. We are happy;
find our little tent very comfortable." 47

Kate Dunlap and Cecelia Adams did the cooking for several meals at
the same time whenever they stopped long enough. Some evenings when they
stopped late or when the weather was bad there was no opportunity to cook.
Kate wrote, "I have been cooking beans and stewing fruit and baking bread."48

Cecelia cooked a large quantity of food one day when the wagon train
did not travel. She wrote, "I baked bread and pumpkin and apple pies, cooked
beans and meat, stewed apples, and baked suckeyes in quantity sufficient
to last some, besides making Dutch cheese, and took everything out of the
wagon to air."4?

Food and cooking were a major concern of most of the women who wrote

diaries and journals in the trail. If they were not actively cooking, the

women commented on the food from the viewpoint of consumers. In addition

to mention of the food itself, the women described cooking methods and

recipes. Some women wrote down recipes in their diaries and journals.

Narcissa Whitman told now to make mountain bread,

... were hospitably entertained by Captain Thing who keeps the
Fort. (Fort Hall) Our dinner consisted of dry buffalo meat,
turnips and fried bread, which was a luxury. Mountain bread is
simply coarse flour and water mixed and roasted or fried in

buffalo grease... for tea we had the same with the addition of
some stewed service berries." -30

Mary Fish wrote down several recipes in the back of her diary. She
recorded the recipes for sponge cake, jelly cake, green corn pudding, sugar
crackers, apple custard, old English plum pudding, white hand soap, bride cake,
and crackers.

Coffee, tea, and milk were the common beverages on the trail; but milk
was a special treat only available when the emigrants took along a milk cow.
Leading and/or herding a milk cow along the trail could slow down a party who
wanted to travel fast, so only some of the emigrants had milk cows with them.
Narcissa Whitman recognized the value of milk on the trail. She wrote, " We
milk four cows. ..We have tea and a plenty of milk which is a luxury in this
country. Our milk has assisted us very much in making our bread since we
have been journeying." -"I

Some parties milked cows all the way to Oregon or California. Elizabeth
Porters' group took along milk cows. She wrote, "Cattle all doing fine, give
lots" of milk."52

Taking along milk cows caused emigrants many different problems on
the trail. When the emigrants found poor grass for several day and travelled
across the deserts, the milk cows often dried up. Helen Carpenter was
disappointed when her cow's milk failed, and she wrote, "There has been such
poor feed that Sookey's (the family' milk cow) milk is failing. Woe is me when
it gives out." 53

Eating sage and weeds along the trail often flavored the milk of the
cows, and many women reported that even the alkali in the soil affected the
taste of the milk. Elizabeth Wood experienced this and wrote, "The water
is so bad here and the milk from our cows so strongly impregnated with
alkali, that I have substituted coffee as a beverage."54

107
Often the women milked the cows on the trail, but Helen Carpenter

said that only the women from Missouri had to milk. Yankee husbands did the
milking, she wrote.

In respect to the women's work, the days are all very much the same
except when we stop for a day. Then there is washing to be done and
ight bread to make and all kinds of odd jobs. Some women have very
little help about the camp being obliged to get the wood and water,
make camp fires, unpack at night and pack up in the morning, and
if they are Missourians they have the milking to do if they are
fortunate enough to have cows. I am lucky in having a Yankee for
a husband so am well waited on.55

In addition to milk, the cows also provided butter. On the trail most

emigrants made their butter the same way. Keturah Belknap described the

milk handling and butter-making on the trail. She wrote,

We have three good milch cows milk them at night and strain the
milk in little buckets and cover them up and set on ground under
the wagon and in the morning I take off the nice thick cream and put
it in the churn. I save the stripping from each cow in the morning
milking and put it in the churn also and after riding all day I have
a nice roll of butter as long as we have plenty of grass and water. 56

Helen Carpenter and Eliza McAuley described using tin churns to make
butter. Helen hung her can from the wagon bows and Eliza set hers in the back
of the wagon. The motion of the wagon churned the butter. Helen wrote, "The
milk is carried in a can swung to the wagon bows overhead. By noon (if the
churn works well and it seldom fails) there is a ball of butter the size of a
hickory nut and innumerable little ones like shot."57

Eliza wrote, "We have a tin churn in which the morning's milk is put and
and by noon or evening we have a nice little pat of butter and some good
buttermilk."58

Good water was an important commodity on the trail, and the water
from some rivers and streams was better for drinking purposes than. the
water from others. Emigrants were very aware of the quality of the drink
water. If the water was muddy, the emigrants settled out the mud by adding
alum. Mrs. Hadley described how she improved the dirty water of the Platte

108
River. "The water of the Platte is very good, when settled which we do by

throwing in a little alum and let it stand awhile."59

Esther Lyman used corn meal to settle out the mud in the water from

the Platte. She wrote,

The waters of the Platte is saturated with moist earthy limestone
and sand and has a torpid appearance. Before using it for drinking
or cooking it should be settled by sprinkling a handful of corn meal
slowly into a pail and stirring it at the same time, It will soon
become quite clear, palatable, and wholesome.5"

Coffee and tea somewhat masked the bad taste of the river water,
and these two beverages were used by most emigrants (except the Mormons).
If they ran out of coffee they used a variety of substitutes. Some made
ginger or barley tea. Patty Sessions, a Mormon, drank ginger tea. She
wrote, "Drank sweetened ginger and water." 61

Helen Stewart made ginger tea and coffee to warm-up the men who
had to swim cattle across a river. She wrote, "The men is all very tired
we are too fore we had to run and put blankets round them all whenever they
came out of the water and drench them all with ginger tea and boiling coffee." 5^

Harriet Griswold substituted barley when she ran out of coffee. She
wrote, "Have got out of coffee and use barley as a substitute." 63

On the trail the emigrants supplemented the supplies which they
brought with them by hunting and fishing for fresh meat and gathering
berries along the way. Prairie or sage hens, plover, ducks, and geese
were some of the fowl they hunted and ate long the trail.

Mary Burrel , Marie Norton, Mrs. Sawyer, and Sarah Sutton cooked and
ate sage hens or prairie chickens. Mary said, "Had a prairie hen for
supper." °4

Marie wrote, "Boys killed some sage hens and rabbits, which we are
are going to have for supper."55

109
Mrs. Sawyer like the sage hens. "Mr.. Sawyer went off the road this

morning on his pony and killed two sage hens. We ate them for dinner, and

they were delicious."6^

Sarah described a feast that included sage hens and rabbits.

The boys have killed about 18 rabbits and five sage hens this forenoon,
the girls are washing and baking apple and peach pies, stewing beans
and rabbits and appear very happy are all in good health and know
no trouble, we have only eight girls to do the work; this trip
is fun for them. 67

Mrs. Hadley complained about the taste of the sage hens she ate on the
trail . She wrote,

See' some hens called sage hens, I have heard say they were good to
to eat. Some of the company killed some, and I think a skunk
preferable. Their meat tastes of this abominable mountain sage
which I have got so tired of that I can't bear to smell it; they
live wholly upon it and it scents their flesh. 68

Lodisa Frizzell enjoyed a supper of plover or upland sandpipers.
She wrote, "Lloyd killed ten plovers with two shots of his double barrel
shotgun, which we dressed and had a fine supper." 69

Antelope and buffalo meat were usually at least sampled on the
trail. Some of the men shot an antelope and a buffalo as they crossed
the plains, but a few emigrants bought the meat from other emigrants or from
indians. Most of the women reported that they liked fresh antelope meat.
Mary Warner traded for some and liked its taste. "May 18. Soon came some
Indians with fresh antelope. They sold us some, or rather we traded flour.
It was so new and good for our supper, tasted something like young lamb." 70

Mrs. Hadley's company killed an antelope and divided the meat among
all the members of the company. "One of our company killed an antelope and
gave us some. It is very sweet and tender, a good deal like veal, much
better than venison." 71

Sarah Herndon called it feast when she had antelope. She wrote.

110
"We have been feasting on antelope." 72

The plains were also famous for providing buffalo herds. Emigrants

killed buffalo for both sport and meat. In her letter Virginia Reed, who

travelled with the Donner party, wrote that her father killed several

buffalo, "Paw goes buffalo hunting every day and kills tw or three buffalo

e^iery day. " ™

Narcissa Whitman liked the buffalo meat which her husband cooked.
She wrote, "The hunter brought us buffalo meat yesterday. . .Husband is cooking
it, no one of our company professes the art but himself."74

Lodisa Frizzell cooked the bones as well as the meat. She wrote,
"We made some soup from the marrow bone of our fresh meat (buffalo) which
I think an epicure would have called good, and eating this with boiled rice
helped us very much."75

Mrs. Hadley believed that it was good to eat fresh meat shot along
the trail, but three men in her train carried their hunting and eating activities
too far. She wrote, "We have three English men in our train who eat everything.
Have a kettle of soup every day. One day they had black bird soup. "76

Fish from the rivers and streams along the trail were another source
of fresh meat and added variety to the emigrant's diets. Women, men, and
children all went fishing along the trail.77 Fish were always a
welcome change from the usual trail fare. Charlotte Pengra looked forward
to eating fish. She wrote, "...the men have been fishing, have caught two
good sized fish and have set their hooks for more, we anticipate a rich treat
in the morning." 78

Fresh fruits and vegetables were not common ingredients in the diets
of people travelling westward. Picking berries along the trail was a
common activity, and fresh berries were a welcome change and a real treat.
Goose berries, service berries, currants, strawberries, hawthorns were

picked and eaten fresh or made into dumplings, pies, and puddings. Lucy '"
Cooke picked gooseberries and made pies. She wrote, "William and I amuse
ourselves picking gooseberries. . .1 made two pies of them and gave one to Ma.
I had to roll my piecrust on the wagon seat; rather primitive style,
you'll think, but it seemed good to do even that bit of cooking. "79

Mary Burrel picked service berries and made a dumpling. She wrote,
"...having about three pints of service berries picked for a dumpling which
went well."80

Narcissa Whitman was very interested in all the plants she found along
the trail, and the she descibed the service berries she picked and ate. "Had
a feast of service berries today, the first ripe ones we have seen. They are
a small black berry, very sweet, something like the pear in its flavor. Stopped
and gathered some which rested me much."81

Mary Burrel made currant pudding. She wrote, "Had another pudding made
of wild currants."82

Esther Hanna found red, yellow, and black currants. She wrote,

The wild currant grows here in greatest abundance, red, yellow
and black the Indians call them KaKapes, they are delicious, fhey
grow on stems like our currants and about the size or perhaps a little
larger but In shape and size they are more like our gooseberry
The bush is very much the same as what we call mountain currant
in the States-an ornamental shrub with yellow blossoms. Our
company has gathered several quarts of them which is quite a
luxury after being deprived of fruit for so long a time. . .(later)
feasted this evening on trout and stewed currants. 83

Narcissa picked hawthorn berries on the Snake River and wrote, "This

evening found a plenty of berries called hawthorn on the stream where we

camped. They are as large as a cherry and taste much like a mealy sweet

apple."84

Along the trail the emigrants gathered other natural resources
to use in cooking. Salt, salartus, and soda water were collected and used.

112
Mary Walker collected salt for seasoning. She wrote, "Encamped at noon on
Thomas Fork. Collected a supply of salt."85

Lodisa Frizzell and others gathered some saleratus or baking soda
(sodium bicarbonate), and made bread with it. She did not like the taste.
"We passed an alkali pond this morning and gathered up a panful of the salaratus
which looks like frozen snow, forming a crust around the edge of the water; I
tried some of in in some bread; it made it quite light, but gave it a bitter
taste."36

Most emigrants were interested in the water in the Soda Springs, and
collected samples of the water. Rebecca Ketcham liked the biscuits made with
this water. "Camilla made some biscuits with the water, put nothing in but
the water, flour, and a little salt. They were quite light and good."87

Sarah Smith also thought the water made good biscuits. She wrote,

The water tastes like soda water, especially artificially
prepared. We find it excellent for making bread, no preparation
of the water is necessary, take it from the fountain and the bread
is light as any prepared with yeast. °°

Esther Hanna made a soda drink with water from the Soda Spring'.
She wrote,

There are some nine or ten of these springs in this place.
The water is clear and sparkling, boiling and bubbling swelling
at times almost to the surface; it is strongly impregnated with
soda and by putting a little acid in it and adding sugar it will
compare with any soda as it foams and boils up in the same way
It will also raise biscuit equal to saleratus. . .we mixed up a
drink with tartaric acid and sugar which was excellent and foamed
nicely. by

Mrs. Sawyer also made soda drinks at these springs.

July '4. We arrived at the noted Soda Springs this afternoon
Stopped and went out to see them. I made some soda drinks and
cream tartar with the water and they were very nice and cool 90

113

HEALTH

The planning, purchasing, and preparing of the food which would
nourish and sustain the emigrants for the next four to six months on the
trail were important tasks. The diets of the emigrants would affect the
health of the travellers, and good health on the trail was very important
to the success or failure of the journey. Illness, disease, and accidents
struck down some of the emigrants. It was important that the emigrants
do everything possible to reduce the chances of illness and to reduce all
risks.

Any illness encountered on the trail was frightening because
medicines and doctors were not always available and because wagon trains
often could not stop long for illness. The emigrant wagon trains were under
constant pressure to keep moving. They ran out of grass for their livestock
if they camped several days in one place.

Medical help was often available when emigrants became ill or
had accidents on the trail. Doctors often travelled with the emigrants,
and they practiced their profession as they travelled often serving all the
wagon trains within one or two days of them. Two of the women journalists
on the trail in 1852 were the wives of doctors. Mary Stuart Bailey's
husband Dr. Fred Bailey visited patients as he travelled to California.
Cecelia Adams husband was Dr. William Adams , and he called on ill people
in other trains on his way to Oregon.

In 1847 Patty Sessions was mid-wife for the Mormon wagon train
going to Salt Lake City. She kept a diary on her trip in which she
officially recorded all of the births she attended. She delivered 14
babies on her trip from Omaha, Mormon winter quarters, to Salt Lake City.
Patty's diary entries do not give much description of a birth on the trail.
One typical entry reads, "Put sister Shaw to bed she a daughter born 9 am."91

114
Velina Williams and Charlotte Pengra provided health care services for

others on the trail in 1853. Veline wrote about helping a friend, "Mrs. Dugen
very sick all night; myself doctor and nurse. Up most of night. Mrs. D.
much better. " 9^

Charlotte helped several people, and she described many of her
remedies in her journal. "Mrs. Fordhams little girl is quite sick,
has a high fever, I have assisted in packing her, hope we can relieve her
before long."9^

Charlotte described other illnesses on the trail,

... had a call to visit a lady suffering with cramp colic,
went with two or three others, found her very sick, indeed for
sometime I thought her case almost hopeless but after applying
numerous remedies we succeeded in relieving her, and left
about nine in the evening for our tents. ^

(I) was packed in the morning Kept wet bandages and took plenty
or cold ingestion through the day, at night took a sits bath
felt considerably better. ..they made a good bed in the waggon
gave me a dose of Opium and travelled 22 miles I was better
at night."

Pregnancy and toothache were the most mentioned health problems
among the women journal writers. Many of the young married women had to
deal with pregnancy and childbirth while they travelled to Oregon and
California. One of the first women to travel the trail in 1836 became
pregnant on the journey. Narcissa Whitman gave birth to a daughter on
March 14, 1837 about six and one-half months after her arrival at
Fort Walla Walla. She does not mention her pregnancy in her trail journal
or letters.

Two of the women in the second party of women to travel the trail
were pregnant. Mrs. Gray had a son on March 20, 1839 a little less than seven
months after her arrival at the Whitman Station, but she did not write a
diary. Mary Walker mentioned her pregnancy in her journal when she felt the
baby move for the first time. She wrote, "July 15 Felt for the first time

the leaping of (the fetus)."96 Nine days later Mary was thrown off her horse

but was not injured. She wrote, "Nooned at cold spring, camped at the Soda

(Springs) My horse fell and tumbled me over his head, did not hurt me."97

Mary gave birth to a boy on Friday, December 7, 1838, about three

months after her arrival at the Mission in Washington. Mary's journal,

which she continued to write even after arriving, recorded the birth of

her son and the problems she experienced for the three weeks following it.

Friday, December 7, 1838. Awoke about five o'clock a.m. As
soon as I moved was surprised by a discharge which I supposed
indicated approaching confinement. Felt unwilling it should
happen in the absence of my husband. I waited a few moments.
Soon pains began to come on and I sent Mrs. who lodged with me
to call Mrs. Whitman. She came and called her husband. They
made what preparations they deemed necessary, left me to attend
worship and breakfast. After which at almost nine I became quite
sick enough began to feel discouraged. Felt as if I almost wished
I had never been married. But there was no retreating, meet it
I must. About eleven I began to be quite discouraged. I had
hoped to be delivered ere then... But just as I supposed the worst
was at hand, my ears were saluted with the cry of my child. A
son was the salutation. Soon I forgot my misery in the joy of
possessing a proper child. I truely felt to say with Eve, I
have gotten a man from the Lord. With Hannah for this child I
prayed. Thanks to a kind Providence for so great and unmerited
•a blessing. The remainder of the day i (was) comfortable.
Husband returned in the evening with a thankful heart, I trust, and
plenty of kisses for me and my boy. Mrs. Smith stayed with me
thru the night, her husband being gone from home...
Monday December 10, 1838 Up for the first time. Mrs. Smith took
my washing.

Tuesday .December 11. Nipples very sore. Worry with my babe. Get
all tired out.

Wednesday December 12. Mrs. Eel Is takes care of me. Very nervous
Milk so caked in my breasts, have apprehensions of two broken
breasts. Have it steamed and drawed alternately till it seems
better, then cover.

Monday December 17. Felt quite out of sorts this morning because
they did not bring me plenty to eat. Was very faint for want
of food. At breakfast took hold of horse meat with a pretty good
relish. Through the day have been well-supplied. Tonight felt had
been ungrateful to murmur. My breast still a cause of much
suffering. Sat up and tended my babe about half the day. Took
a nap. This evening made a cap for my babe, the first time I have
sewed any. Fear I have worked too hard today.
Tuesday December 18. Very sick all day. Steam pads over my
breasts all day.. Have taken cold. Experience soreness in all my
breasts, relieved by sweating. Take morphine and calomel. Go to
bed, sleep some.

116

Monday December 31. Have obtained a (mare's teat). Hope to
succeed in using it. If so I shall rejoice.98

Mary Walker was the only one of the 63 women who described in her
journal her own experience of giving birth in the wilderness. Other women
mention childbirth on the trail.

Amelia Knight mentioned the birth of her eighth child in 1853 as

she travelled along the Columbia River, but she does not give many details.

A few days later my eighth child was born. After this we picked
up and ferried across the Columbia River, utilizing skiff, canoes,
and flatboat to get across, taking three days to complete. Here
husband traded two yoke of oxen for a half section of land
with one-half acre planted to potatoes and a small log cabin and
lean-to with no windows. This is the journey's end. 99

Amelia found her trip to Oregon difficult. She was was certainly

not travelling under optimum conditions. On her journey she was in her

last months of pregnancy, and she was more or less responsible for her

seven children on the trail. On the other hand pregnancy was nothing

new to her.

In 1853 Esther Lyman became ill with a fever and lost a baby on the

trail, and she mentions this in a journal entry. She wrote,

I was taken with the same fever. ..it was six weeks before I
was able to be even taken out of the buggy.. .on the 21st of
August I lost my babe, it only lived a few hours. I should not
have mentioned this only I wanted to tell you one particular
about it. It was a daughter, however that was nothing strange,
but if you had seen it you would have thought it ought to have
belonged to Mary instead of me. It had five fingers on each
hand and one was exactly like, Marys, her worst one. Otherwise
it was perfect child... in the course of a week I began to recover.

Childbirth on the road to Oregon or California was not an unusual
thing, and many of the women mention the birth of a child to someone in
their wagon train or in a train travelling near them. Mary walker
mentioned the birth of a daughter to the Indian wife of one of the
fur traders in her caravan. Mary noted that this woman rode horseback
all day long on the day before she gave birth. Mary wrote,

ICO

117
Conner's- squaw about to give birth... The woman safe ill camp.
Think it is a hard case in such circumstances to ride some 12
miles uphill and down. . .Conner's wife was confined. At noon
she collected fuel and prepared dinner. Gave birth to a daughter
before sunset. *«*

Along the Sweetwater in August Mrs. Sawyer visited a woman who gave

birth on the trail. Mrs. Sawyer wrote,

I saw a lady where we nooned today, who had a fine son three
days old. The arrival of the little stranger had made it
necessary for his friends to go into camp for a week or more,
and they had settled down to make themselves at home, quietly
and patiently awaiting the time that they might resume their
march. The lady was comfortably situated and in good spirits.
I have heard of several children being born on the plains, though
it is not a very pleasant place for the little fellows to first
see the light of day. ™

In her journal Celinda Hines mentions the birth of a boy in her

wagon train. "We returned to camp and found we had an addition to our

company in a little boy named Labonte Judson." The child had been named
for the creek, Labonte Creek, near his birthplace. 103

Harriet Ward became acquainted with a couple who had a baby born at

Pyramid Circle. The parents named their son after his birthplace, Harriet

wrote.

August 25 . During our stay this morn, Frank and myself called
upon our friends whom we met a week since, and found the babe whose
birthplace was Pyramid Circle doing finely. The mother improving,
but has been quite sick. The boy, poor little fellow, must
hereafter answer to the unpoetical conomen of Pyramid Alonzo.104

A two and one-half week old baby died on the trail in Maria Belshaw's

train in 1853. She wrote, "Mrs. George Belshaw gave birth to a daughter

at 4 o'clock this morning. (September 20)." On October 6th Maria wrote,

"Came but a short distance on account of George Belshaw losing his infant

daughter. She died at 9 am of cancer of the stomach." °5

On the trail in 1853 Charlotte Pengra was often called to help sick

people. She rode back two miles to assist a woman giving birth, but the

118
baby arrived before Charlotte did. She wrote,

May 19. This evening word came to the camp that a lady encamped
some two miles back was sick and needed aid. Accordingly
Allison and I hunted up our husbands, got them to saddle two
horses and started— had a very pleasant ride, found the lady
quite comfortable in bed in a waggon with a little daughter-
perhaps an hour old. Gave it a name (Sarah Emily Bondfield),
wished her success and rode back—reached our camp about dark,
well pleased with our expedition.106

Jane Tourtillot witnessed several tragedies along the trail in 1862.

One accident involved a pregnant woman who was run over by a wagon and cattle

in a stampede. Jane wrote,

July 28. We passed by the train I have just spoken of. They had
just buried the babe of the woman who died days ago and were just
digging a grave for another woman that was run over by the cattle
and wagons when they stampeded yesterday. She lived twenty- four
hours and she gave birth to a child a short time before she died
The child was buried with her. »«'

Travelling in 1864 Elizabeth Porter recorded three births on the
trail, including twins. Elizabeth wrote, "One woman in our train "had twin
babies last night. "^ August 13th she wrote, "Mrs. Stamper had a baby
this morning, she is very sick. Baby dead and buried. . .Mrs. Stamper better
in the afternoon."109

After pregnancy, toothaches ranked second as a health concern among the
women journalists and the women they described in their journals, diaries,
and letters. Sometimes the women only mention pain and illness, and it
requires a careful search of the journal or diary to find a cause.

Mary Walker who was pregnant suffered from a toothache for several
days on her journey to Oregon in 1838. She mentions pain and illness, but
finally wrote that she felt well after she had her tooth extracted. She wrote,
"Left camp at half past four in the morning after a sleepless night with
toothache. Tho I laid nearly all day, I could not get even a nap, so
unwell I concluded to have it extracted after which I felt better."110

119
Mormon midwife Patty Sessions suffered from a toothache during her

journey to Salt Lake City in 1847. She wrote, "I have got the tooth- ache
bad... I feel bad— me face sweled bad— can hardly set up— it's quite hard
on me to drive the team all the way." 11J

Fifty-year old Harriet Ward experienced excellent health on her
journey to California in 1853, but she did have a toothache several times.
Harriet wrote, "Frank and myself passed an unpleasant night attending to my
poor old tooth which ached unmercifully."112

Maria Norton also suffered from a toothache while she journeyed
to California in 1859. She noted, "Have been having the toothache today. .."113

According to the women writers, they did not fear illness on the trail
any more they feared illness when they were at home. Many of them, however,
believed in being prepared. Vaccinations were sometimes taken before
leaving home as a preventative measure, and many women packed a medicine
chest to take in their wagons. Only two women mentioned these vaccinations
in their journa.ls, but it is likely that a lot of people took them before
leaving home.

Lucy Cooke had her baby vaccinated for something in 1852. She wrote,
"My dear babe was vaccinated from Richard W. It was only done in one place,
but it has 'taken' nicely, so I'm glad only one scar is made."114

In a letter Mary Gray wrote that her husband was vaccinated. "My
husband has a very lame arm today, occasioned by vaccination. . ."115

The medicine chests taken on the trail contained a variety of cures.
Some of the women had favorite remedies which they recommended in their
journals and diaries. Elizabeth Geer recommended a whole supply of
medicines to take. "Laid in our. ..medicine for no one should travel this
road without medicine. . .each family should have a box of physicking pills,
a quart of caster oil, a quart of the best rum, and a large vial of

120
peppermint essence.'1 lr6

In their journals and diaries the women give a glimpse of the medical
professions state of the art in the mid 1800' s. Seidlitz Powder, Golden Seal
Lobelia, and Calomel were cures that were mentioned several times by the women.
Mary Fish wrote the recipe for a cure for diptheria in her journal. She wrote,

Diptheria .Cure
Golden Seal 1 drachma
1 drachma
Black pepper 1 drachma
Nitrate of potash 1 drachma
Salt 1 drachma

Put all into half a cupful of boiling water, stir it well
Swab the throat every half hour when the patient gets better
every two hours. Rub the following ointment outside the throat:

- ■» ammonia 1 ounce, turpentine one ounce, sweet oil

1 ounce-.- ■ 117

Harriet Ward gave Seidlitz Powders to an ill friend on the road to
California. "This eve I opened dear Mrs. Simmons' box of Seidlitz Powders
for a young friend who was ill and who thought she received much benefit
from them. "H8 Harriet also used calmomel and an opiate as cures on the trail.1!9

Mary Burrel gave her mother Lobelia for a cure. She wrote, "Mother is
taken sick... She is not better; got some medicine of a company, a box of
Lobelia, gave her three doses." 120

Several diseases threatened emigrants on the trail, but cholera was the
big threat in some years. This disease killed its victims quickly, and there
were few successful remedies. Men, women, and children were stricken by this
killer and buried along the trail. Cholera also killed people in cities so
it was not just a hazard to travellers on the trail.

Fevers were another illness that afflicted people on the trail. Most
fevers caused a lot of distress, but the women who were afflicted with fevers
usual ly recovered.

Travel was considered to be healthful even beneficial to the health

121
of travellers. The added physical activity, the walking, and even the fresh

air seemed to benefit a lot of women, and in their journals they gave testimonies

to their improved physical conditions.

Sarah Smith, Elizabeth Geer, and Harriet Ward were positive that their

health was greatly improved by their journey. Nearing her destination Sarah

wrote, "Was not near as tired as I used to be at home. Think the journey has

increased my strength much."121

Elizabeth Geer, who was about 38 years old when she crossed the plains,

found her health improved and her body stronger after her journey. In a letter

she wrote, "I was in good health and never so nimble since I was a child. I could

run a half a mile without stopping to breathe." 122

The rigors of her trip to California in 1853 restored Harriet Ward's
health and greatly imporved her physical condition. She joyfully records her
physical improvement throughout her journal. In Missouri she expresses hope
for improvement, "I shall soon think I can bear the winds and the rains as well as
the youngest of our put. -"3 About three weeks UUr shg ^^ ^ ^
which had been troubling me very much indeed, had received much benefit from the
wet bath (a soaking in a storm). 124 A ^ J-t||l shg ^^ ^ ^..^ ^
Palmer, Frank (her daughter), and myself took a long pleasant walk, and I
presume during the day I walked some four or five miles and experienced no
inconvenience from ft."125 Nine days later she wrote> »j f1mj j can wa]k three

or four miles without fatigue and Father and I both can read without spectacles." 126

By July 6th fifty year old Harriet can leap onto a pony like. a young
person. She wrote,

On our return to camp we met Willie coming with Prince, and I
jumped on his back without a saddle and rode off triumphantly.
You will think I am rejuvenating and indeed I am, for I thought
the day past when I could run, jump, and walk as I do now. 127

122
Harriet's 65 year old friend found her own health improved by the

trip to California. Harriet quotes her friend, "Old Mrs. White, a Lady of

sixty-five years says she really feels almost young again and attributes her

improved health to the buoyancy of the climate." 128

Sarah Herndon's recorded that her 53 year old mother had her health

improved by her journey. Sarah wrote,

August 31. Mother's birthday. She is fifty-three years old
we have been now four months on this journey. Have lived out of
doors, in all sorts of weather. It has been very beneficial to
mother. She was looking frail and delicate when we started, but
seems to ba in perfect health now and looks at least ten years
younger. l" *

THE WAGON TRAIN ENVIRONMENT

Several of the women believed like Sarah that living out-of-doors
for four to six months had benefitted their health. The only roof over the
heads of most emigrants was a wagon cover or a tent, and during the 2,000 mile
journey the women had to adapt to the elements, to storms, to heat, to dust,
to the sun, to animals, and to Indians.

Living in a covered wagon and a tent was a new experience for all
of these women writers. Some liked it; others had a difficult time adjusting
to all of the inconveniences and discomforts.

Eliza Spalding was expecting the trip to be more disagreeable than
she found it. She wrote,

Camping, out at night has not been so disagreeable and uncomfortable
as I anticipaged. Traveling on horseback has appeared to benefit
my health, and I feel encouraged to hope by the blessings of God
that I shall be anabled toendure the hardships of the lonq iournev
we have before us. uu

Near the end of her journey Rebecca Ketcham found that she had made
the adjustment to trail living. She wrote, "...but all the fear I have of
Indians, snakes or crossing rivers does not prevent me from lying on a very

123
hard bed and sleeping soundly and greatly enjoying the beauties we pass through

during the day." 131

To make their work easier and to make themselves more comfortable

wome women spent a lot of time and effort arranging their wagons for

their convenience. Helen Carpenter described her wagon arrangements.

The. greatest convenience of all, and one which none °f the rest
have, is a new fangled brake to check the speed in going downhill.
The others have lock chains which are a great inconvenience and
take up much time to fix and undo. All have boxes at the back of
the wagons for carrying the cooking utensils. In ours there is a
Dutch oven, a camp kettle, frying pan, and coffee pot. These, with
some tin plates, tin cups, tin spoons, knives and forkd, a rolling-
pin, bread pan, milk can and a smoothing iron, constitute my entire
kitchen furniture. 132

Eating, cooking, doing dishes, washing clothes, and making beds was
not convenient nor easy in a covered wagon no matter how carefully things
were planned and arranged. Esther Hanna was stating a fact and not complaining
when she wrote, "All our work here requires stooping not having tables,
chairs, or anything; it is very hard on the back. "133

On the trail some of the women slept in wagons, some in tents, and
a few in specially outfitted carriages. Mary Dutro wrote about her sleeping
arrangements. "Us women sleep in the wagones wee have one larg tent for
the famely to eat in and have a dosin pic nic chares our men will all sleep
in this tent."13'*

Lodisa Frizzell and her husband made their bed in their wagon while
their boys slept in a tent. She wrote,

Lloyd and I occupied the waggon while the boys slept in the tent.
I had bought rag carpet enough to spread over the ground in the
tent which proved excellent for keeping the wet or sand from getting
on the bedding which consisted of buffalo robes and blankets. 135

Mrs. Sawyer was part of a minority of emigrants who slept in comfort

on featherbeds in a carriage. She wrote, "I sleep in my carriage every

night on a feather bed, and am not exposed in any way in bad weather. The

boys sleep in a the wagon or in the tent." I36

Lucy Cooke and her husband William slept in a specially outfitted124
wagon with their baby. She wrote, "William and I have slept in the light
wagon... it's very crowded in the wagon and I have to lay baby across our
heads." 137

Esther Hanna and her husband started their journey in the comfort
of a carriage and finished riding a pack mule and walking. Esther described
the customized carriage in which they started.

Our carriage is very comfortable and we have a real nice little
bedroom of it at night, shut it all up close, let down the backs
of the seats, spread our mattress, hang up our clothes on the
hooks which are put all around. I have mv looking-glass, towel
etc. hung up and everything is in order. l3°

Driving the wagons was usually the responsibility of a man, but some

women drove a wagon full or part time. and enjoyed doing it. Harriet Ward's

husband challenged her to drive their wagon. She wrote,

Father, said, 'Now show yourself a woman and drive through (a slough)
But this being the worst one we had met with I hesitated for a
moment. Then, thinking we could not drown, I seized the whip and
in we dashed and soon the good little ponies were dancinq on
Terra Firma again.139

Mary Jane Guill drove her wagon regularly and in her journal wrote
comments about the different animals she drove. "Put Betty in the waggon
to work this morning for the first time on the road, she travels very well,
don't pull as much as she might."140

Patty Sessions, the Mormon midwife, was proud of her driving record.
"I have drove my wagon all the way but part of the last two mountains P G
drive a little I broke nothing nor turned over."141

Mary Warner had the responsibility of driving a buggy much of the
way. She never complained about driving. She wrote, "I have been assigned
the buggy with a fine team of dapple gray, and they can go some I can tell
you. Warner is usually ahead on horseback. My, but we are a wonderful looking

... 125

crowd. We' are called the Warner Trail. ^

Mrs. Sawyer said she enjoyed driving a wagon. "I drive a great deal
now, as I am very fond of handling the lines." 143

Most of the women drove at least some of the time, often when the
usual male driver was ill. Charlotte Pengra recorded one time when she
drove as they passed the Grand Ronde area. She wrote, "Bynon and Sis is
very unwell, they are anxious to go on I drove..."144

Jane Tourtillot also drove when her husband was ill. She wrote,
"Albert is not well today, so I drive. I have been in the habit of sleeping
awhile every forenoon, so naturally I was ^ery sleepy driving."145

The women appeared to have been safe wagon drivers and were not
involved in any accidents that were recorded, but accidents involving wagons
were common along the trail. Harriet Clark described one wagon in her train
which was prone to upset. She wrote, "John turned over again." A few days
later she wrote, "John spilled over his wagon."146

Sarah Cranstone recorded another wagon upset. She wrote,

Today we had another wagon tip over an a very sidling hill
and. a springy miry place at the bottom. There was not water
enough to wet the things, Broke the wagon bows all up the
only damage done. Got some willows and soon twisted up some and
went on. 1'47

Many of the wagon accidents and upsets involved the women who

frequently rode in the wagons, but most of the wagon upsets did not

result in injury to the passengers. Celinda Hines was on the road to

Westport when her mother's wagon overturned, and Celinda wrote,

The. light wagon was behind, and being so much lighter, the
oxen were frequently running ahead in spite of all Pa could
do to prevent them. We had gone about two miles, Aunt E.,
Mother and M being in the wagon. They were going up a hill when
the oxen attached to the light wagon rushed ahead, ran upon a

125

bank. Pa ran to prevent the wagon from upsetting as it was
running onto the bank on one side and coming into collision with
the provision wagon. As he was trying to hold it up, it upset
jamming him against the other wagon and bruising him very much'
He could not tell us how much he was hurt and we feared he had
received some internal injury which would in the end prove fatal
Mother, Aunt E. and Martha were tipped out uninjured. The wagon'
was not materially broken, but things were strewed all along the
road. HO

A couple of weeks later Celinda herself was tipped out of a wagon.
She wrote,

Aunt Lydia, Julia, Lucy Ann and myself were in Charles' wagon
As we were going down the bank the wagon tipped over None were
much hurt, but L. A. and myself being behind the others and the
things coming upon us, we could not move... The wagon was injured
a little. The contents of the provisions chest were mostly
emptied into the stream. 149

Occasionally wagon accidents resulted in serious injury or even

death. Eliza McAuley witnessed a fatal accident when a woman's dress got

caught in a wagon wheel. Eliza wrote, "In coming down a steep hill a

woman attempted to jump from the wagon with the child in her arms. Her

dress caught in the wheel and she was drawn under and crushed to death." 15°

Maria Belshaw reported an injury-accident in her journal.

"Mrs. Coonts was getting into her wagon, slipped and fell under the wagon,

two wheels passed over her, no bones broken."151

Although the women rode in wagons on their trip to Oregon or

California, most of the women also rode horses on the trail at least part

of the time. Many of them had never ridden horseback before, but all

of these women improved their skill riding. Myra fells was concerned as

she tried out her horse in 1838 and prepared to ride 2,000 miles to Oregon.

Myra wrote, "Ride a little way to try our horses; do not know how I shall

succeed in riding. m152 Myra was an accomplished and experienced horseback

rider by the time she reached Oregon-Washington, and she felt like this

experience had prepared her for living on the frontier. She said,

127
We had a long hard horseback journey, but suppose we are the better

qualified to live in this country as there is no other mode of conveyance
here." "3

Most of women rode horseback only part of the time. Algeline
Ashley wrote about her riding, "I ride horseback some every day."

There are a few records of women riding horseback during pregnancy.
Catherine Washburn was in the last months of her pregnancy when she
wrote, "I rode several miles on horse back today." 155

Myra Eel Is wrote about a woman in her party who rode 25 miles on
the day before and 15 miles on the same day she gave birth. Myra wrote,
"About 10 o'clock Messrs S and C and wife came into camp. Mrs. C. brings
an infant daughter; suppose she rode 25 miles yesterday, fifteen today. "156

Side-saddle was the popular style of horseback riding for women
in the mid-1800's. Mary Burrel was excited when her family purchased
a side-saddle, but it apparently was not used a lot because they
discarded it later. Mary wrote, "Lightened our load considerable, threw
away the side-saddle, a man' saddle, 6 blankets, some other clothing and
traps, dinner box etc."15''

Fewer than half-a-dozen women record accidents involving the
women who rode horseback on the trail. Eliza Spaulding described her
horseback riding accident in 1836. "August 6. Yesterday my horse became
unmanageable in consequence of stepping into a hornets nest. I was thrown
and notwithstanding my foot remained a moment in the stirrup, and my body
dragged some distance, I received no serious injury."158

Two years later Mary Walker experienced a fall from a horse.
"My horse fell and tumbled me over his head, did not hurt me. "159
One woman was seriously injured when her horse threw her.

Jane Tourtll lot wrote, "June 13. A lady on our train was thrown from her^
horse and injured quite severely. They sent on ahead a mile for a Doctor,
who was in the next train."160

Riding horseback day after day, sitting in a wagon week after week
brought these women into close contact with horses, cows, and mules.
Many women developed strong attachments for their animals.

Two of the women had cows named 'Brindle' and both of the cows
had calves enroute. In 1852 Cornelia Sharp wrote, "Brindle had a calf. "161

Eight years later Mary Jane Guill wrote, "Brindle has got a calf,
she had it about twelve."162 Mary Jane records the births of other calves,
on the trail and frequently mentions her animals in her journal.

Lodisa Frizzell revealed her affection for animals when she wrote,

Saw several head of stock which had gave out, one old cow by the
road with a paper pined on her head, it stated that she had been
left to die, but if anyone chose, they might have her, but requested
that they would not abuse her as she had been one of the best of
cows, she looked so pittiful and it called up so many associations
in my mind that it affected me to tears.153

•Esther Hanna was moved to tears when her mare lay down as if to die.

Esther wrote, "She appeared to fail every step and finally she lay down on the

roadside. I cannot describe my feeling at this time. This noble animal

that had been of so much service to us and worth so much to us if we got

her through had now as we thought, laid down to die... I bursted into a flood

of tears. . This mare recovered from exhaustion and was cheered when the

hired man brought her into camp several days later.

Many women wrote about family dogs which were taken along on the

journey to California or Oregon. Pet dogs were a mixed blessing on the

trail. Elizabeth Wood recorded how one wagon train dealt with dogs which

had frightened cattle.

129

,°lLmZmnKaJ th?b[ea* 0f day l was ^kened by a disturbance
among the cattle which had got frightened at the barking of a dog
They run against the wagons, broke the wheels and tongue of ours
and bawled in an estampede. . .The captain ordered all the dogs '
to be killed and in obedience to his commands, our faithful
Tray1 was shot. lbb

Young Virginia Reed's pet was killed for a different reason in 1846.

Stranded and starving she wrote, "We had to kill little Cash, the dog, and

eat him. We ate his head and feet and hide and everything. . .we lived on little
Cash a week." 166

Most of the 63 women became accustomed to living out-of-doors. Some
wrote about this change in themselves after they arrived in California or
Oregon where they first stayed in a house at the end of their journeys.
Helen Clark reported that living in a house required another adjustment,
after months on the trail. She wrote, "We feel queer in a house again. "167

Helen Carpenter reported that her seven month old sister cried
the first time they stayed in a house in California. In her journal she
wrote,

Here at Emory's Crossing of Yube was a hotel and toll bridqe and
a number of little board shanties. The proprietor let us to into
one for the night and we found it much more comfortable than beinq
outside in the rain. An old clock ticking on the wall constituted
the furnishings. The baby, now seven months old, got badly
frightened on hearing it tick. In fact, she was so afraid of
indoors that she was repeatedly taken outside that being the only
thing that would pacify her. In our travels she has become a child
ot nature. 168

The longer they travelled in the wilderness, the more accustomed
the women became to the trail lifestyle. Many overcame fears of snakes,
Indians, wild animals, and storms, but personal safety was always a concern
for women on the trail. Most women depended upon their husbands, grown sons,
fathers, or other males in their party for protection from Indians, robbers,
and wild animals.

130
On the trail most men carried firearms. They used rifles and shotguns

to hunt buffalo, antelope, rabbits, ducks, and other game. They also used

guns to protect themselves and their families when Indians, animals, robbers,

or other things threatened their safety.

A few women carried firearms on the trail. Mary Warner and her friend

Mrs. Lord both carried little guns for self-protection. Mary wrote,

Like my friend Mrs. Lord, I keep close to my gun and my dog...
A- Frenchman came riding on horseback into our camp, asking many
questions; and not at all liking his manner, Warner told him we
were all well armed and Mrs. Lord took the occasion to exhibit her
little gun she always wore at her side. Sometimes I really get
afraid she might accidently shoot some of us.169

Some women practiced using their firearms and shot at targets as they

travelled. Eliza McAuley threatened some Indians with her gun and practiced

target shooting one day, and then she wrote about it her journal.

Gat one of Meeker's wagons across and one of ours this morning
leaving the rest of our train on the eastern side. Mrs. Meeker
and I crossed with them and wre left alone to guard the wagons while
the men were at work repairing the boat. Some Pawnee Indians came
around, and getting impudent and troublesome, we pointed empty
pistols at them and told them to 'pucachee' or we would shoot
them. The ruse succeeded and they soon left us. In the afternoon
having nothing else to do we amused ourselves by shooting at a mark.1*0

Jane Tourtillot described how she and her friend practiced their

marksmanship. "Lou and I shot at a mark with a revolver. The boys said we

did first rate for new beginners. "

CLOTHING

Wearing and shooting guns was probably a new experience for these
women who discovered that they needed some new skills to travel and live
away from civilization. In addition to new skills the women found they
also needed new and different clothing for their comfort, safety, and
convenience on the trail. and in the- west. Riding horseback, jumping in
and out of wagons, and washing clothes in rivers and streams put some

131
new demands on the women's apparel and fashions of the day. On the trail
they needs special hats to protect their faces from sunburn, they needed
clothing made of material that would wear well and not show the mud and
dust from the trail", and they needed styles that would permit them to
ride horses and climb in and out wagon and up and down hills without restricting
their movement or getting caught in the wagon wheels or bushes.

Sunbonnets and bloomers were the two new articles of clothing mentioned
most frequently in the diaries and journals written by the women on the trail.
Sunbonnets were worn on the trail by the second group of women to go west in 1838
and were mentioned at various times all during the 30 years of heavy trail
travel .

Bloomers came later and seem to have first been worn by women on the
trail in 1852. A year earlier the advocate of women's rights Amelia Bloomer
became famous for the Turkish pantoloons when she wore them with a skirt that
came only just below her knees. She wore her new fashion to lectures and
popularized the style which became known as bloomers.172 From 1852 women found
bloomers to be appropriate and comfortable to wear on the trail.

Long skirts and dresses were worn by women on the trail in the 1830 's
and 1840*5. In 1838 Myra Eel Is recommended, "A lady should have a good green
merino or pongee dress and a loose calico dress to wear when she does not need
her cloak. Her underclothes. . .should all be colored. They ought to have three
changes to wear on the journey. They should have a Florence bonnet or a
variegated straw... A lady should have a pair of gentlemen's calf shoes and
be well supplied with stockings and shoes. " 173

Few of the women actually discuss dress or style in their journals
in the 1830 ' s and 1840's, but many mention their apparel when they tore it,
washed it, or sewed it. Rebecca Ketcham gave some clues to what she wore while

crossing the plains in 1853. "Yesterday I had changed every article of Nothing
I had on except my quilted skirt and sack."174
Another time Rebecca wrote,

In jumping off the horse alone today, I caught my dress in the horn
of the saddle and tore almost half of the skirt off. That I must
mend it tonight. I have had no dress on since the day we came to
Westport but my palm-leaf muslin delaine. I mean to stick to it
as long as I can. It is very dirty and has been torn nearly if not
quite twenty times, but another would look nearly as bad in a day
or two. As long as I look as well as the rest, I don't care.1'5

Cecelia Adams wore a wool dress on the trail in 1852. She wrote,
"Last night my clothes got out of the wagon and the oxen ate them up, so I
consider I have met with a great loss, as it was my woolen dress."176

In 1847 Tamsen Donner wrote a letter home and recommended wearing
linsey dresses on the trail. "Linsey dresses are the most suitable for
children. Indeed if I had one it would be comfortable." 177

Long dresses or skirts were not practical for many of the conditions

on the trail. Wind, rain, dust, and mud were all conditions in which the

long skirts were not suitable. On horseback and in wagons the long skirts

were hazards and got caught on things. Helen Carpenter described two women's

solution to wearing long skirts in the wind. She wrote,

The High wind which prevailed interfered very much with our locomotion
and switched the dresses about leaving the pedal extremities in a
precarious condition. To overcome this Aunt Sis and Emily pinned some
rocks in the bottom of their skirts never dreaming of the black shins
they would carry for the next week. 178

Rain dampened many emigrants and their spirits on the trail, and it

was difficult for the women to change clothing while the wagons were moving,

so many did as Mary Burrel described, "Rode with wet underclothes all the

forenoon. " "

The dust was very deep on the ground and thick in the air at many
places along the trail. In the worst places the women donned veils or
goggles to filter out the dust so they did not have to breathe it.

133
Esther Hanna wrote, "We all have to wear either veils or goggles, some
wear handkerchiefs over their faces."180

Margaret Frink also mentioned the dust when she wrote, "The heat is
sometimes oppressive. The dust is intolerable. Many wear silk handkerchiefs
over their faces, others wear goggles."181

Figure 3. Descending the Blue Mountains by M. Loy Wagoner. From a drawinq of
the Whitman-Spalding party.182

t .u 134

in the wagon trains and on the trail matters of convenience and

comfort often became more important than appearance to the emigrants, but
the women became more conscious of their appearances as they approached
towns and civilization. Tanned by sun and wind, the women commented on their
appearances. Helen Clark was surprised by how tan she looked one day.
"Mary and I wash and dress and also look in the glass and oh my face is
black enough to be a squaw. ul83

Mary Warner wrote that she was concerned about appearances only when
she was approaching civilized places. "June 20. Now as we get nearer
civilized conditions, take stock of our clothes and our appearances."184

Approaching her destination in California Lucy Cooke wrote that she
needed nice underclothes. "If I only had some muslin, how nice I could be
preparing our underclothes, for we each are quite destitute. I have no night
dress at all, so sleep in a colored sacque." 185

Bloomers became popular attire on the trail in 1852, but there was
controversy surrounding bloomers. Many women wrote that they wore bloomers
on the trail or wrote comments about other women who wore them. Lucy Cooke
wore bloomers and wrote, "I wear bloomers, as do most of the women folks in
the different companies." 18*>

Eliza McAuley wore short dresses and bloomers. "My sister and I wear
short dresses and bloomers and our foot gear includes a pair of light
calf-skin top boots for wading through mud and sand."187

Mrs. Sawyer felt bloomers were appropriate on the trail. and wished
that she had some. She wrote,'

We have been traveling for several days in company with an old
gentleman and his family. He has with him, his wife, two sons,
daughter and daughter's husband. The daughter is dressed in
bloomer costume, pants, short skirt and red-top boots. I think
it is a very appropriate dress for a trip like this. So many
ladies wear it, that I almost wish that I was so attired myself.

135
The old lady wears a short skirt and pantletts. She is fifty years
years old. Her health was not good when she started, but it is
improving now. 188

Helen Clark made herself a pair of bloomers while she was travelling
the trail in 1860. She wrote, "Pluck some flowers I conclude I better finish
the bloomers I began yesterday." "■*

A squaw noticed Helen's bloomers, and Helen noted this incident in
her journal .

We camped for dinner on the Platte and a tribe of Cheyennes came
along with their dogs and ponies, some of them have this year's
colts saddled for the papooses to ride. Some of the prettiest
ponies for only ten dollars but they won't take anything but silver
dollars and we have nothing but half dollars. It is a very large
tribe, we see one squaw 80 years old, she laughs at my bloomers. °

There were other women on the trail who were not advocates for bloomers.
In 1853 Harriet Ward described a woman and judged her by her bloomer attire.
"We left encampment at an early hour and took a long walk with Mrs. Singletary
whom notwithstanding her bloomer dress, we found to be a sensible, pleasant
woman." 1*1

As a young bride Mary Warner and the other young women of her party

planned to wear bloomers and put them on for the first time as their

caravan was crossing the Nebraska prairies. Mary felt very self-conscious

in her bloomer outfit and wrote a description of her feelings in her

journal.

April 13. Two days in camp, I feel like a squaw all ready and if
you were to see me you would say, yes you look it. The rest of our
women folks have put on their bloomers. Well I put on mine and soon
took them off. Celia and I went away down the bluff and there we
practiced with them. Celia concluded she had the courage to wear
hers, but not I. So I got back into my other clothes. Just think
of it-brave enough to cross the plains but not brave enough to
wear bloomers. Well when I got back in camp they all laughted at
me. Mrs. Lord, the man's wife who is in our company, called me
proud, said I wanted to look better than the rest, etc.. but then
I said J would never wear them as long as my other two dresses
last...ly<=

136
The women commented on bloomers and other fashions and fads

worn on the trail. Hoops were fashionable in the east in the 1850's,

but hoops were definitely not practical to wear on the trail. One bride

did wear hoops in 1857, and Helen Carpenter saw and described her as they

travelled along the Platte River.

June 19. There is a bride and groom in the Inmann party.
The bride wears hoops. We have read of hoops. We have read
of hoops being worn, but they had not reached Kansas before we
left so these are the first we have seen and would not
recommend them for this mode of traveling. The wearer has
less personal privacy than the Pawnee in his blanket. In asides
the bride is called, 'Miss Hoopy. ' 193

Many women wore sunbonnets to protect their face, eyes, and lips
from the sun and wind. This headgear provided wearers with some protection
from the elements. Women sewed them just before leaving home or else they
made them as they travelled. Sarah Smith made a sunbonnet while she went
west and wrote, "Am making a gingham sunbonnet which I had not time to make
before I left the States."194

On the trail Lucy Cooke made a sunbonnet for herself and her little .
daughter. "We rode very comfortably yesterday from Kanesville. Baby sat in
her chair most of the time, whilst Ma and I sewed. Yes, sewed: Don't laugh
I made Sis a little sunbonnet." Later Lucy wrote, "My clothing is very
shabby now. That pink calico sunbonnet I have worn on Sundays and week days,
and when it looked too mean I made another out of an old lilac calico I
brought from England.'

Charlotte Pengra loaned her sunbonnet pattern to another woman who
was going to California. She wrote, "I received a call from a lady by the
name of Smith, that was going to California with her husband, she wished
the pattern of my sunbonnet which I have with pleasure. nl96

After sewing her tent Celinda Hines made some sunbonnets. She wrote,
"I sewed on the tent all day. ..Aunt Lydia gave Julia and myself materials

for some sunbonnets. We busied ourselves in making them." 197

As the wagons rolled west, some of the women passengers sewed. Women
made bloomers, shirts, skirts, and underwear as the wagon trains went westward.
Mary Warner did her handwork at an .unusual place and wrote, "June 11 - as. we
hope to soon send letters home will send journal and a tattin collar to
Mother made at times while in camp. I have made two, one for myself,
finished one while on the summit of Rocky Mountains." 198

Most of the 63 women writers on the trail had some responsibility for
the clothing worn by their husbands and children as well as their own.
Mending and washing clothing were both activities which the women mentioned
frequently in their diaries and journals. A few did some ironing on the
trail.

The emigrants washed their clothes and also bathed in the same rivers
and streams where they obtained their drinking water and where they watered
their livestock. The trail never strayed far from the life-sustaining rivers
and streams, .the Kansas, the Platte, the Sweetwater, the Snake, the Columbia,
the Humboldt, all provided the emigrants with water for drinking and washing.

Rebecca Ketcham described her clothes washing procedure in her journal.
She wrote,

Before, we moved camp again Camilla and I went down near the stream
and did our washing. We had a fire built on the ground where we
heated our water. We have only one small wash tub and one wash
board, but with the help of pails and washdish we managed to get
through a pretty large washing. Ironing of course was dispensed
with. 199

Men often helped the women do the washing. They started the fires
which were used to heat the water, they carried the tubs to the river, and
occasionally they did the washing. Mary Bailey described one occasion when
the men in her party did the washing. "Stopped at noon to wash and attend
to other matters. ..It was really amusing to see the men stand in the river

138
to wash. They all acted so awkward."200

Washing clothes was hard work for emigrants on the trail, and washing
needed to be done frequently. All of the washing equipment and the clothing
had to be carried to and from the river, and a fire had to be built to heat
the wash water. The emigrants needed to wash frequently because there was
always dust, mud, and wind on the trail and most emigrants were travelling as
light as possible and did not have many changes of clothing with them.

The emigrants washed whenever they were camped near a suitable river
or stream. Sometimes emigrants washed in the morning, others washed while
trains stopped for nooning. Mary Walker washed in the morning and wrote,
"Rose early, kindled the fire, boiled my clothes, finished by washing before
breakfast." 201

Narcissa Whitman travelled so fast and such long hours in the fur
traders' caravan that she found it difficult to have time to wash clothes.
She wrote, "This is the third time I have washed since I left the states.
Last night I put my clothes in water and this morning finished washing
before breakfast." (August 20, 1836). 202

The women with babies and young children probably washed more
frequently than others. Lucy Cooke washed often. She wrote, "I went
to washing as soon as things were fixed, for with a baby to care for
there's always something to wash." 20^

Some of the emigrants tried innovative ways to wash and used the
hot springs along the trail for washing machines. Charlotte Pengra and
found the hot springs washing to be effective. She wrote, "Soda Springs-
Some Mormon traders were washing their clothes in it. They put them in
the Spring and the action of the watter did the rubbing." 204

Catherine Washburn also used nature's washing machines. She wrote,

139
"There is two boiling springs and a cold one between them I went and

washed in one it is soft and cleansing." 205

Margaret Frink wrote about the same springs.

This morning we started at eight o'clock, and soon came to springs
that were boiling hot. Only five feet from them was another as cold
as ice. Here were men engaged in washing their clothing. Their
position was such that after washing a garment in the boiling springs
they could take it by the waist band and fling it across into
the cold spring, and visa versa with perfect ease. °

Often emigrants washed clothes and bathed at the same place in the
river or stream. Mary Burrel wrote, " Washed after dark some things and
took a refreshing wash before going to bed."207

Bathing was a social activity for the women. Many women who were
travelling together would gather and go down to the river. Almost all of
the women's diary and journal entries which mention bathing also name at
least one companion who went with the writer to bathe in the river or stream.
Often whole groups of women went together probably for mutual protection.
Harriet Ward mentions 'young ladies' going together. "The young ladies
took a hath and were caught in the shower." 208

Some baths were really more like swimming parties but only one woman
described her bathing suit in her diary. Lucy Cooke wrote, "Ma, William,
myself and the young ones bathed in a creek the other evening. I wore my
flannel for a bathing suit." 209

Bathing in the rivers and streams was sometimes an enjoyable treat,
and at other times it was more like a torture when storms, cold weather,
and muddy rivers were encountered. Celinda Hines enjoyed her bath in the
Boise River. "On the Boise. Had a fine bath in the river."210

Camped near Chimney Rock (Nebraska) Charlotte Pengra bathed in the

Platte. "Mrs. Allison and myself took a bath in the river and were very

?l l
much refreshed."

140
Helen Carpenter and Lucy Cooke bathed in the same river and did not

like the muddy water. Helen wrote,

In", the dusk of the evening the women went a short distance down
stream for a dip in the river even if the water was somewhat thick.
At this point there was almost no bank, but the tall bunch grass
and increasing darkness was a sufficient protection against a peeping
Thomas if there had been one in camp. 212

Lucy objected to the mud. "Ma, Llllie, and I went and bathed, but
it is a nasty, muddy stream, with very swift current. Still a bath seems
always to benefit, and it's our only chance for ablution. " 213

Some of the rivers along the trail were positively cold, but some
women bathed in them anyway. Helen Carpenter wrote about the Sweetwater
(Wyoming), "We took a bath in the ice cold water of the Sweetwater." 214

RECREATION AND LEISURE

These bathing and swimming parties were only one form of
entertainment in which the women on the trail participated. During the four
to six months long journey the women found time to socialize and visit back
and forth between wagons and even between wagon trains, to fish together
in the streams and river, to dance and sing with other emigrants in the
evenings, and to play ball after lunch or supper. 215 Sunday5 often prQvided
time for leisure for the wagon trains who observed the Sabbath. The women
also enjoyed individual leisure activities like reading, tatting, sewing,
and writing letters, journals, and diaries.

Many women went fishing as they travelled west. Judging from the
number of times it is mentioned in the women's diaries and journals, fishing
was one of the more popular activities on the trail. Mary Warner went
fishing and wrote about it.

141

aAnfdtecrampCerdOSoS:nB9laHcarForFrkabWour?w0ab?Uf T *" ^ ^ fa™"
■"1$. Mrs. Dunwe 1 Aunt Ce a and ' ° ^ ^V 9°ing twenty-two
concluded that there 'vTre^lsYJn luTrVrU^ bUt «* fiBally
Mary Jane Guill tried her luck and wrote, "I tried to catch some fish
but I had no luck too poor a fisher to catch them Mr. Guill and Ken caught
several small ones. There is some very nice fish in the river."

Harriet Clark went' fishing and wrote, "Keeler and tried our luck
fishing." 218

Sarah Herndon caught some fish.

Severa.1 of us young folks went fishing this afternoon. I have
often gone fishing but do not remember ever catching anything of
any consequence or having any luck... so imagine my excitement and
surprise when the fish began to bite, and drew them out almost as
fast as I could get my hook baited. Frank baited my hook and
strung the fish on a forked willow switch. 'ly

Helen Stewart went fishing several times on the trail, but she did
not like it very much. She wrote, "We can fish to our satisfaction but I
neather like to put the grasshopper on nor take the fish, poor things."
Another time she wrote, "I have been trying to fish but cannot catch any only
little ones." Still another day she wrote, "We all went fishing this evening
there was eleven in number of us I believe thay all caught some thing
me, I got two little wee things that was not worth ceaping and threw them
into the water again." 220

Lodisa Frizzell wanted to catch a lot of fish and wished she had
a seine. She wrote, "George (her son) caught some small fish with a pinhook.
Here was a small stream full of little fishes, which if we had had a small
sceine, we might have caught any amount."221

Music and dancing entertained many emigrants in the evenings as they
travelled westward across the prairies and mountains. Musical instruments
played on the trail ranged from violijis and guitars to melodians and
accordians. Elizabeth Geer enjoyed music and wrote, "We have plenty
of music with the flute and violin and some dancing."222

142
Cecelia Adams enjoyed music and dancing" on the trail. She wrote,

"Last night we had music and dancing. It makes it seem quite like home to

hear the accordeon which Cecelia plays almost every evening."223

Mary Fish was amused by a dancing party in the dust and wrote,

The young people of our company are having quite a merry time this
evening. They are dancing on sand a little less than two feet
deep. Mr..L. Fish is playing on the violin. The dancers raise such
a dust that it is hard to see the fiddler. Mr. E. Fish is master
of ceremonies which ceremony consists in raising all the dust
they can without choking themselves."

Mary Burrel had her melodian with her and played it on the trail. She
wrote, "I played on the melodion for them. They were pleased and wanted
Hannibal to dance." 22^

Several young men in Sal 1 ie Hester's caravan had musical instruments

with them and played frequently. She wrote,

Raft River:. This week some of our company left us, all young men.
They were jolly, merry fellows and gave life to our lonely
evenings. We'll miss them very much. Some had violins, others
guitars, and some had fine voices, and they always had a good
audience. They were anxious to hurry without the Sunday stops. 2"

Fiddles were popular on the trail. Helen Carpenter, Mary Jane Guill,
and Mary Burrel all mention fiddles in their journals. Helen wrote,
"Billy got his 'fiddle' out and sawed for awhile."

Mary Jane appreciated the music and wrote, "We had some music last night

by Mr. Wildason on the fiddle, sounded well." Another day she wrote,

La-st' night we had a seranade last night betweeen the hours of
ten and eleven. Music sounded delightful, the instruments
consisted of one fiddle and banjo. It enlivened me up very much
out here away from home enjoying.the wilds of a western life with
all its scenery and enchantment.

Mary mentioned a whole evening of activities. "Had some fiddling and

dancing, washing, baking, knitting, reading old compositions of Wes'

scholars."229

143
'Begone Dull Care', 'Oh Suzanna', and 'Mansion of Happiness' were

three of the songs which the emigrants sang in the wilderness. Harriet

Ward mentioned these tunes. "The young ladies Mr. Poland and myself,

took a long walk which terminated very pleasantly indeed in singing, 'Begone

Dull Care.' Another day she wrote, "Mr. White and his sisters, with Frank,

are enjoying themselves with their guitars and the 'Mansions of Happiness'

etc. and are a lively, pleasant group indeed. "23°

Lucy Cooke wrote in her journal part of the lyric of one song,
"Oh, Susannah, don't you cry for me, I'm bound for California, The gold
dust for to see." "*

Harriet Ward appreciated the wilderness setting for one evening of
singing. "Frank (her daughter) and the young gentlemen enjoyed a pleasant
evening, playing and singing in this lone wilderness, entirely surrounded by
mountains, which perhaps never before echoed to the sound of the guitar."323

Marie Norton enjoyed an evening songfest on the trail and wrote, "We
had quite a good sing .last night after our work was finished before
retiring." 233

Reading and writing were other leisure activities which the women

on the trail enjoyed. Some emigrants took along books. Harriet Ward enjoyed

reading and wrote, .

Miss Sarah W., very fortunately for us, has a large supply of
books. I have read the The Lady of the Lake and Lai 1 1 ah Rooke
until they have become old stories. I have just finished one
of Eugene Lue's works, First Love, and I am sure it is a work
which I would not wish to put into the hands of the young.234

Charlotte Pengra was another woman who read on the trail. She
wrote, "...have read a little."23^

Harriet Ward spent some time reading on her trip to California.
She wrote, "After walking as far-as we dared to go alone, we sat ourselves

upon a large crystal rock, where we passed a half hour in reading and writing. "236

144
Harriet Ward mentions in another entry that her son read Thackery's Henry

Esmond as he rested in the family wagon.

Helen Carpenter read a book as she travelled and wrote, "I did succeed
in finished my book, Dred or the Dismal Swamp." 237

Helen Stewart read at night, probably by candlelight or campfire light.
She wrote,

We are divided tonight some is on one side (of the river) and we
are one the other. . .Mary, Agnes and the children and my own dear
self was in the outside wagon we was afraid to go to sleep and we
had a notion to read all night but after we read awhile we thought
that the light might attract attention so we put it out.238

Charlotte Pengra read during her leisure time on the trail. She wrote,
"Mrs. A and I went and sat on the bank of the river and had a pleasant
conversation I have found her a sister Adventist, I spent the afternoon
mostly in reading. "239

Walking was a popular change of pace for many women on the trail.
They walked with their families and with friends along the trail, and they
often gathered wild flowers and berries on their walks. Harriet Ward wrote
about walking with her husband and friends. "Frank, Willie, and myself took
a pleasant walk to gather wild flowers, then returned to the wagon to commence
making our tent."240 Another time she wrote, "Mrs. Quigley, Mrs. Palmer,
Frank and myself took a long pleasant walk."

Cecelia Adams wrote that she enjoyed looking at the countryside on her
walk. "P. and self walked on several miles. ..This is a beautiful part of
the country and very level. Once in a while see a bird... We do enjoy
ourselves very well. We have some good neightbors in our company."2*2

Charlotte Pengra picked and collected wild flowers as she walked
along the trail. She wrote, "...took a walk, gathered some flowers and
anjoyed myself pretty well..."

Several women pressed the wildflowers they gathered along the

145
trail and preserved them. Algeline Ashley pressed some but ended up throwing
them away. She wrote, "I pressed some of the blossoms and some other flowers
but they were thrown away with the old history." 244

Caroline Richardson's and Harriet Ward's journals both bear the
imprints of flowers which these two women gathered along the trail and
carefully placed between the pages of their journal for preservation.

Some women named and even counted the wild flowers they found.
Mary Burrel observed the flowers and wrote, "In ascending we found 48
different kinds of flowers, some very pretty." 245

Children and adults alike found time to play as their wagon trains
rolled westward. 246 They often t0Qk advantage Qf whatever ^ ^ ^ ^

hung swings in trees, or had snowball fights at the one or two places along
the trail where there was snow.

Children and even adults were attracted to the snow at a few places.
Margaret Frink had a snowball fight when it unexpectedly snowed at Willow
Springs (Wyoming). She wrote, "We snowballed each other till ten o'clock,
when the sun got too warm for the snow to melt."247

Ball games were often organized by men, women, anu children who enjoyed
the sport. No one identifies the game, but it likely was baseball. Mary
Warner wrote that she played, "Here we spend the Sabbath, some writing, others
reading, and I think some did washing. We played ball."248

Jane Tourtillot watched the men play and wrote, "The men had a ball-play
towards night. Seemed to enjoy themselves very much, it seemed like old
times. "249

Harriet Ward and her family spent one evening on the trail reminiscing

146
about the family and friends they left in the east. She wrote, "We took out

our Daguerreotypes and tried to live over again some of the happy days of
Auld Lang Syne, Dear little Trow (a grandson) I could gaze upon your sweet
face forever."^

Some of the travel itself was entertainment. Many women rode
horseback or walked on side excursions and left the trail to investigate
landmarks and explore the countryside. They rode horseback or walked to see
such natural phenomena as Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff, Independence Rock,
Devils Gate, the Great Salt Lake, hot springs and geysers.

Mary Burrel rode horseback to investigate the area around Chimney
Rock. She wrote, "Isaac, Wesley, Frank, Ed and wife and myself all on
horseback rode around the mountains (near the rock) all the forenoon."251

Harriet Griswold was interested in the Great Salt Lake. "August 16
Henry and some of the boys took a bath in it and brought a specimen of the

salt from the shore. It is impossible to sink in it, the so strong

with salt and there are no fish in it."252

The wild animals along the trail provided entertainment for some
emigrants. A few of the women reported that they obtained antelopes or
buffalo calves for trail when the young animals were captured by emigrants.
Hunting was another activity which entertained many men on the trail.

Rebecca Geer described catching two buffalo calves and trying to
keep them with the herd of cattle. She wrote, "Caught two of their calves.
One ran away the other day. The other they drove along with the loose
cattle several miles." 25^

Agnes and Helen Stewart wanted to keep two baby antelopes as pets.
Helen wrote, "...brought two living antelopes oh they are the dearest
little things I ever saw. "254

147
Agnes also wrote about the antelopes,

Two antelope were coming toward the camp and two of the fellows took
funs and chased them, but did not get any and I was glad for the
poor things were at home and we were the intruders. . .One of the
men caught two antelope. They are dear little creatures. They are a
kind of brown or dun color. They let them go again, but I should
have liked to have had one for a pet. b

Eliza McAuley's boys captured a baby antelope and her family kept it

as a pet for several days. She wrote, "The boys caught a little antelope and

brought it back to camp... our antelope Jenny is a great pet in camp and is

equa>ly fond of Margaret and me. She bleats and cries if either one is away

from her." 256

Some of the boys and men enjoyed shooting animals along the trail just
for the sport of it. The women often spoke out against shooting for sport.
Lodisa Frizzell did not want the boys in her train to shoot prairie dogs and
wrote,

Passed a large prairie dog town... the boys shot several of them
although I begged them not to hurt them for it is pitiful to see
them when one is wounded or killed outside and cannot get into his
hole; others will rush out and drag himn in then they will commence
barking with all their might and directly the whole town joins in,
as if they had been informed and understood that one of their number
was wounded or dead.

The women enjoyed other activities as they journeyed westward with
family and friends. A few mentioned playing chess and other games, and at
least three women sketched and painted enroute.

Mary Warner wrote that she played chess, but was criticized for doing
this. Mary wrote, "June 10 Aunt Celia and I played chess, which Mrs. Lord
thought was the first step toward gambling."258

Paintings and sketches of Indians, trail landmarks, and the wagon
trains were made by some of the emigrants. Mary Warner wrote about one
young woman in her party who sketched some bluffs. "Celia sketched the
bluffs and will make a painting of it when through."259

Lodisa Frizzell and Mrs. E. A. Hadley were artists. As artists thele
two women were exceptionally good observers and wrote vivid descriptions in
their journals. Lodisa made a watercolor painting of some Indians which
was included in the published version of her journal. 260 „„. Hfldley ^ ^
her journal the places where she made sketches.

ro°ckaysou?h side^he Hvl ^l the "^ t0 ^ ^sd "^ house
Inri * *rlJl 1Ver- lt 1S on the t0P of the ridge of bluffs

and ascends up m a square form two-thirds of its heiaht and thpn

U ,hl^ I \ ,]l 2lve you a draft in tne back of the book It
is about two-hundred feet high above the main ridge very romantic
see a company on the other side of the river, stop to dfne in s aht
of ch^ney rock, I seated myself this day noon to sketc it as near
as I can from so great a distance and from observation you wi 1
(see; this also in the back part of the book^"

RELIGION

The Sabbath was a whole day of leisure on the trail for some of the
emigrants. The question of travel on the Sabbath was an issue which caused
much dissention among the emigrants and was often the reason for parties to
divide or split.

Some of the women expressed their belief that all wagons all emigrants
on the trail should stop and lay-over for the day no matter where they
were or what situation they were in. Lucy Cooke held this viewpoint, and
she and her family made a firm resolve not to travel on the Sabbath. As
a result of this practice of stopping on Sunday, several families withdrew
from their train. Lucy mentions this division in her journal. "Pa having
resolved not to travel on Sunday unless compelled, consequently the Perrins
left us." 262

At least two women concluded that it was less sinful to travel on
Sunday than it was to stop because so many emigrants labored washing
clothes, repairing wagons, and doing other chores whenever the trains

149
stopped. Marie Norton decided it was better to travel on the Sabbath and
wrote, "July 10 We are going to travel again today, as we think that it
is better than to lay over, as the boys will wash and do a great many
things that I think are worse than traveling."263

Helen Stewart also expained her position in her journal. "July
3, Sunday, we start this morning I think it is hardly right to
rest two days and then start on this day but we are all so wicked that we do
far more harm when we are stopped than when we are going." 264

Most of the emigrants took their religious beliefs and practices
with them on the trail. Many of the wagon trains had worship services
on Sunday. These services were held in a variety of settings at almost
every time of day and night. The services were often led by a minister
and included prayers, preaching, scripture reading, and music. In her
diary Sal lie Hester descirbed a service she attended. "September 17.
Had preaching out under the pines at night. The men built a fire and we
all gathered around it in camp-meeting style."26-

Esther Hanna attended a worship service in a tent at the eastern
end of the trail. She wrote, "Mr. Yantis (a Presbyterian minister) and train
are camped near us, it is pleasant to have a tabernacle in the wilderness;
they had two or three large tents put up together and seats placed so as to
accommodate all . "266

Sarah Herndon described a worship service on the trail.

Sunday, June 25. We have had a preaching service this afternoon
The services were well attended, and the sermon was fine He
compared our situation with that of 'the Children of Israel' in
the wilderness. He spoke of God's care for them and that He
careth for us, spoke in an earnest manner of our dependence upon
God, and our inability to take care of ourselves, or to
accomplish anything without God's help and cooperation, and of the
necessity of earnest prayer and faith in all circumstances
of life. ..When the people were gathered at the call of the bugle,
some sat on chairs in the sahde of wagons, some under umbrellas
some in carriages and light wagons."267

150
Just as Sarah Herndon's minister had compared the emigrant's situation

with the children of Israel in the wilderness, some of the emigrants believed

they too were on a religious mission in the wilderness. Certainly the missionary

wives travelling in 1836 and 1838 believed strongly in the religious purpose

of their trip. Other women felt this sense of mission also.

Some of the women compared their situations and themselves to Lot's
wife in the Bible. Lot's wife had been warned not to look back with longing
at the possessions and the life she was leaving behind as she and her husband
walked away from the evil city of Sodom. Lot's wife made the mistake of
glancing backwards and as a result was turned into a pillar of salt.

Sarah Smith believed that it was evil for her to think about the home
and family she had left in the east, but she felt homesick. She described
her ambivalence in her journal, "I sometimes feel I would like to sit
once more at dear mother's table with father, mother, brother and sister,
but I fear it is wrong. I would not send one wicked, sinful glance to my
dear home." 268

Harriet Ward was also afraid that her feelings of homesickness were
a sin. She compared her family's departure from home with a Biblical story
and mentioned the temptation of looking back. Harriet wrote, "This morn we
were all up in good season and soon bade adieu to our uncomfortable camping
ground with a right good will and never once looked behind us. I think there
was little danger of our meeting with the fate of Lot's wife. .."269

Religious beliefs and faith were mentioned by most of the women
journalists on the trail. Some mentioned this sense of mission, many
expressed their religious beliefs about the Sabbath, a few wrote prayers
in their diaries and journals.

A few of the women believed they were exposing themselves to sin

151
and temptation by travelling to California and Oregon. These women wrote

descriptions of the wickedness they witnessed along the trail. Maria

Belshaw described a wicked scene at the .iissouri River.

May 14. All kinds of wickedness going on. Car.d playing and
fighting and robbing. Several sick in camp. Last night a man
was murdered by a man he had hired to drive cattle, his head
split open, throat out--the murderer was caught--had a trial —
the officers delivered him to the emigrants— they hanged him
this afternoon. '/u

Maria concludes a large percentage of her journal entries with a short
prayer or meditation.

Drunkeness, profanity, and profaning the Sabbath were all evils
which the women mention in their diaries. Harriet Ward objected to the
profanity she heard. She wrote, "Such profanity I never dreamed existed
in the world as I have heard since we have been amongst the emigrants."271

Drunkeness was another thing several women found offensive on
their journey. There was a law against selling alcoholic beverages to
Indians or even transporting it across Indian territory. This did not
stop some trail entrepreneurs who set up grog shops in wagons parked along
the trail .

Two different women described rolling taverns they saw along the
trail in 1852 and 1853. Algeline Ashley wrote, "There is a wagon near
us selling brandy to emigrants that pass along."272 Algeline wrote that
entry as she was travelling two days west of Independence Rock (Wyoming).

Helen Stewart saw a grog shop on wheels in 1853 as she travelled
along the Platte River (Nebraska). She wrote, "June 3 Plum Creek There
is wagons standing the place of a grog shot they have two sines up."273

Mary Burrel was offended by the drunks she met at Donner Lake. She
wrote, "Encamped at Tragedy Springs, among a drunken .gang. Saw the effects

of liquor to our hearts content.

Mary Walker and the other missionary wives were offended and even
frightened by the drinking and the drunkeness they witnessed among the fur
traders and the Indians at the rendezvous in 1836 and 1838. Mary wrote,
"Last night disturbed by drunkards. . .Some of the Captains and I suppose
many of the men are drunk nearly all the time."

A few of the women explained many of the things they saw and

experienced on the trail in religious terms. Lodisa Frizzell was interested

in the volcanic formations and lava flows she saw along the trail, and in her

diary described the forces of natures as acts of God and symbols of man's

sinfulness. She wrote.

Here the earth has felt a shock at no very distant period. . .what has
caused the earth to be to its center shook? Sin! the very rocks seemed
to reverberate, Sin has caused them to be upheaved that they may be
eternal monuments of the curse and fall of man; viewing these symbols
of devine wrath, I felt humbled; I took a small stone and wrote upon
a flat rock beside me, 'Remember me in mercy 0 Lord.' I shall ,never
forget this wild scene and my thoughts and reflections here.

MOTIVES

While a few of the women compare their journey to a divine mission or
to the journey of the Isrealites in the wilderness, most of them do not
adequately explain their motives for going west. By the time most of these
women sat down to write their first entry or first letter, the decision to
go had already been made, they had already sold out, packed up, and said
good-bye to friends and relatives.

Sarah Sutton was an exception and in her journal she mentioned one
reasons that influenced her family to emigrate. She wrote, "We were bound
to search for a healtyer and milder climate than Illinois to spend the
remainder of our days."

153

From these women's writings it is not possible to determine in most

cases who made the decision to emigrate or to determine what factors influenced
the family to go. At least some of the women were the motivators who urged
the families to leave. Esther Hanna described a dying man she met in Oregon
who said he emigrated because his wife wanted to move to Oregon. Esther wrote,
"He was a man of property in Illinois but owing to the persuasion of his
wife who wished to come here to her brother, at her solicitation he sold all
and came. She died on Umatilla River." 278

A few of the emigrants just headed west without making a firm decision
about their destination. Some of the women recount discussions and debate
about the destinations of their parties as they travelled in Nebraska and even
Wyoming. Mrs. Sawyer and her party even changed their destination at about
the half-way point. She wrote, "We have concluded to go to California instead
of Oregon, as was our first intention. I am greatly pleased by this change of
intentions, as I had much rather go to California."279

After packing up and leaving home, family, and friends, a few women

questioned their decisions. Sarah Herndon reflected about the decision in

her journal. She wrote,

As- I sit here in the shade of our prairie schooner with this
blank book ready to record the events of this our first day on
the road, the thought comes to me; Why are we here? Why have we
left home, friends, relatives, associates, and loved ones?

Once the decision was made and the journey begun, there was almost no
turning back. The emigrants were swept along by the wave of emigration in
spite of death and disaster on the trail.

One woman was widowed on the trail. Rachel Fisher lost her husband
and her daughter to illness on the trail, but Rachel continued to travel
west because there was no way to turn around and go home. Rachel wrote in
a letter, "I thought of returning but I had no one to take me back, and
I could not see how I could do better than to go on."281

154
Another young woman writer lost her father on the trail when he

accidentally drowned in the Boise River. She described the drowning and

the plight in which her family found itself.

But in swimming the cattle we soon found our troubles had but
now commenced. . .swim at all, but at length they were all safely
over. Pa, who rode a horse, as he had not done before, and
assisted in driving them. By some cause or other he went too far
down the river, his horse reared with him, and saying 'I must take
care of myself got off. He endeavored to get hold of the horse,
as he let go of the bridle, but being on the lower side the current

took him down and the horse swam out of his reach. He to

an island, but finding strong turned to the He soon

sank in heart. Most of the men were near, but none of them dared
to go in, the danger was too great. ..I will not attempt to describe
our distress and sorrow for our great bereavement. . .With hearts
overflowing with sorrow we were under the necessity of pursuing our
journey immediately, as there was not grass for our cattle where we
were. Mreers. Marsh and Walter being with us, their services were
engaged. Mr. Marsh drove our team.

Other women were left alone to get their families and rigs to their
destinations. Esther Lyman, found herself alone on the trail at Fort Boise
when her husband felt it was imperative that he go ahead to buy and bring
back provisions to his hungry family. Joseph Lyman ran into trouble and did
not find his family again until they had reached their destination in Oregon.
Esther wrote, "We became so short of provision that Joseph and a young man
named Gardner concluded to go ahead and get provisions.' °^

Some of the young women on the trail were travelling west with their
husbands on wedding trips. They were probably lured west by business
opportunities, cheap and fertile land, healthful climates, and gold. Some
of these young men had already been to California and Oregon and then had
returned home to be married and bring wives and families to live on the
western frontier. Most of these newly married women journalists had
pleasant and successful trips.

Helen Carpenter was a bride on the trail- in 1857. She wrote, "I have
been married four months, this will be my bridal trip." 284

155
There were women of all ages on the trail, and age did not seem to be

related to a good or a bad trail experience. Harriet Ward was fifty years

old when she went to California. She was enthusiastic about the whole trip

and wrote that she felt younger and better the longer she travelled.

Harriet commented about other women on the trail. She wrote,

I have conversed with many ladies and they all appear happy and
in good health. It is strange and almost incomprehensible to see
so many of all ages and conditions, from the grey haired man of
seventy to the smiling infant of a few weeks... Can it be the love
of gold or adventure, or the ever restless spirit of man which
prompts to all the toil and fatigue?28

Aug. 22. Our company all apparently in good health and spirits.
Old Mrs. White, a lady of sixty-five years, says she really feels
almost young again. °°

All through her journal Harriet records her enthusiasm for the trip.

dear children, were you all with us and our horses fresh it
would notwithstanding all its hardships be to me a perfect pleasure
trip. There is so much variety and excitement about it, and the
scenery through which we are constantly passing is so wild and
magnificently grand that it elevates the soul from earth to heaven
and causes such an elasticity of mind that I forget I am old.

had so often read and heard of the difficulties and dangers of
the overland route to California, and I find from experience that
the pleasure thus far quite over balances it all. 288

In her journal Elizabeth Wood weighed the pros and cons of her trip.

experiencing so many hardships you doubtless will think I
regret taking this long and tiresome trip, and would rather go back
than proceed to the end of my journey. But no, I have a great
desire to see Oregon, and besides, there are many things we meet with-
the beautiful scenery of plain and mountain, and their
inhabitants, the wild animals and the Indaisn, and natural curiosities
in abundance— to compensate us for the hardships and mishaps
we encounter. Z89

Narcissa Whitman, one of the first women to travel the trail to

Oregon, expressed both the apprehension she felt at the beginning and the

relief she experienced on her arrival in Oregon. Many of the women who

followed her experienced both of these feelings. Narcissa wrote,

The .wayjooks pleasant notwithstanding we are so near encountering
the difficulties of an unheard of journey for females. ™

156

Do not think I regret coming. No, far from it. I would not go
back for a world. I am contented and bappy notwithstanding I
sometimes get very hungry and weary.

At the end of her trip Narcissa Whitman did not regret her personal
decision to travel west over the Oregon Trail, nor did she mind serving as an
example for the emigrant women who would follow her across the continent.
A majority of the women who travelled the trail between 1836 and 1865 and left
written records did not regret their own decisions either. Whether these women's
decisions to travel were based on a sense of mission, economic necessity, or
a search for adventure, the result of these decisions and subsequent journeys
was the settlement of the West and the acquisition of new territory by the
United States.

Debate and controversy has surrounded the women on the Oregon/California
Trail for the past 150 years. While the debate continued in the halls of
Congress and in the newspapers about the wisdom of letting women travel
overland across the continent, women were packing up and heading west in the
1840s and 1850s.

Now 148 years later, the overland trail experience for women is still
being debated, interpreted, and studied. Scholars have studied men's journals
and even women's reminiscences and devised hypothesis and generalizations
based on these. Researchers have subjected a select few of the women's
journals and women's reminiscences to scientific analysis and used these
findings to develop theories about the women on the trail.

A genuine understanding of the women's overland trail experience, a
reliable record of the facts, and an interesting narration of the story
of women on the trail are all contained in the writings of these 62 women
listed and quoted in this paper. These women can communicate across the

157
past century when libraries and archives unlock their doors and make these

valuable historical records conveniently available to the general public. The

original journals, diaries, and letters must be printed or reprinted as they

were written so the nation can learn about the experiences of women and

families on the Oregon/California Trail.

158

CHAPTER 3 FOOTNOTES

Tamsen Donner, "Mrs. George Conner to a Friend in Springfield, June 16,
1846," in Overland in 1846, ed. Dale Morgan (Georgetown, California: The
Talisman Press, 1963) II: 562

2Belknap, p. 141.

3Eells, p. 58.

4Ketcham, p. 251.

5Hines, p. 81.

6Belknap, p. 141.

7 1 b i d . , p. 142.

Washburn, p. 7.

9
Frink, p. 8.

10McAuley, p. 1.

See page 99 for a more detailed discussion of food and cooking on the trail.

12Eells, p. 119.

13
Carpenter, p. 93.

14
Geer, p. 155.

15
Belknap, p. 11.

Hines, p. 83.

Agnes Stewart, p. 80.

18
Belknap, p. 4.

19
Griswold, p. 6.

Cooke, p. 15.

Smith, p. 75.

Ibid.

23 159

Ketcham, p. 274.

24
Carpenter, p. 171.

Herndon, p. 115.

Sutton, p. 18.

27
McAuley, p. 1.

Hester, p. 237.

29
Whitman, p. 54.

Lyman, p. 2.

Dutro, no page number.

32
Sessions, p. 171.

33
Griswold, p. 14.

34
Mary Walker, "Diaries of Myra Eel Is and Mary Walker, April to September 1838,'
in First White Women over the Rockies, ed. C. M. Drury (Glendale, California:
The Arthur Clark Company, T36"3) II: 81.

Griswold, p. 35.

36,,

Hanna, p. 3.

37
Griswold, p. 5.

38n

Pengra, p. 8.

39
Ibid., p. 15.

Ibid., p. 16.

41
Ibid., p. 19

42
Ibid., p. 24.

43
Burrel, p. 1, 6, 12, 19, 3.

44
Belknap, p. 144.

45Walker, p. 77.

46Ibid., p. 98.

47Smith, p. 72.

48
Dunlap, June 12 entry.

160
49

Adams, p. 296.

50
Whitman, p. 78.

51Ibid., p. 51.

Porter, p. 2.

53,
Carpenter, p. 147.

54
Wood, p. 193.

Carpenter, p. 114.

56Bleknap, p. 143.

57„
Carpenter, p. 119.

58
McAuley, p. 23.

59Hadley, p. 11.

Lyman, p. 1.

Sessions, p. 171.

Helen Stewart, p. 10.
Griswold, p. 64.

54B 1 7

Burrel , p. 7.

65
Norton, p. 36.

Sawyer, June 30 entry.

Sutton, p. 66.

68Hadley, p. 26-27.

69 c • 11

Frizzel I , p. 5.

Mary E. Parkhurst Warner, May 18 entry.

Hadley, p. 16.

72
Herndon, p. 118.

73
Reed, p. 278.

74
Whitman, p. 51.

Frizzell, p. 21.

76Hadley, p. 32.

7h nfi * ■ 161

See page iJO for more about fishing.

Pengra, p. 44.

79
Cooke, p. 36.

80
Burrel , p. 54.

Whitman, p. 77.

82
Burrel, p. 26..

83
Hanna, p. 20.

84
Whitman, p. 86.

Walker, p. 105.

Frizzell, p. 28.

87
Ketcham, p. 371.

Smith, p. 99.

Hanna, p. 18.

90
Sawyer, July 4 entry.

Sessions, p. 167.

Velina Williams, "Diary of a Trip across the Plains in 1853," Transactions of
the Oregon Pioneer Association 47 (1919), p. 218.

93
Pengra, p. 32.

94
Pengra, p. 10.

Ibid., p. 52.

95Walker, p. 103.

97Ibid., p. 107.

98
Mary Walker, "Mary Richardson Walker," in Women of the West, ed. Cathy Luchetti
and Carol Olwell (St. George, Utah: Antelope Island Press, 1982), p. 67. This
is the only Mary Walker quotation taken from Women of the West. All of the other
Mary Walker quotations are taken from First White '.jomen over the Rockies.

99Knight, p. 216.

100,

Lyman, p. 3.

101., ,,

Walker, p. 115.

i02 152

Sawyer, August 6 entry.

103

Hines, p. 99.

104Ward, p. 137.

105
u Bel shaw, p. 40.

106n

Pengra, p. 20.

107Tourtillot, p. 222.
108Porter, p. 2.
10%ia., p. 4.
110Walker, p. 107.
Sessions, p. 167.
1 Ward, p. 128.

Norton, p. 45.

114

Cooke, p. 8.

Mary Gray, "Letter of Mary Gray, April 4," in First White Women over the
Rockies, ed. C. M. Drury (Glendale, California: The Arthur H. Clark
Company, 1963) II: 242

116,.

Geer, p. 55.

117Fish, p. 128.

113., , ,_

Ward, p. 61.

119

Ibid., p. 104

120„

Burrel , p. 20.

121c -*u

Smith

> P

93.

122.
Geer,

177.

123Ward,

33.

124Ibid.

. P-

55.

Ibid.

i p.

63.

126,, .
Ibid.

i p.

72.

127,,...,
Ibid. ,

, p.

91.

163

128Ibid., p. 135.

129

Herndon, p. 253-4.

130P ...

Spalding, p. 189.

131Ketcham, p. 261.

132

Carpenter, p. 95.

133u

Hanna, p. 8.

134

Dutro, no page numbers.

135Frizzell, p. 12.

136

Sawyer, May 13 entry.

137

Cooke, p. 13.

Hanna, p. 4.

139. Ward, p. 51.

140

Guill , August 3 entry.

Sessions, p. 184.

142

Mary E. Parkhurst Warner, April 13 entry.

143

Sawyer, June 30 entry.

144

Pengra, p. 55.

145

Tourtillot, p. 222.

146

Harriet Clarke, p. 6.

147_

Cranstone, p. 12.

148Hines, p. 83.

149

Ibid., p. 90.

150M « 1 7

McAuley, p. 7.
Belshaw, p. 13.
152Eells, p. 58.

153Ibid., p. 119.

154
"Ashley, p. 2.

164

155

Washburn, p. 2.

156Eells, p. 115.

Burrel , p. 17.

Spalding, p. 195.

159Walker, p. 107.

160Tourtillot, p. 220.

Cornelia A. Sharp, "Crossing the Plains from Missouri to Oregon in 1852,"
Transactions of the Oregon Pioneer Association 31 (1903), p. 186.

162Guill, p. 5.

163Frizzell, p. 20.

164u »
Hanna, p. 35.

165Wood, p. 197.

166. .

Reed, no page numbers

167Helen Clark, p. 43.

1 fiR

Carpenter, p. 187. This was discussed from the point of view of the child in
Chapter 2.

Mary E. Parkhurst Warner, April 24 entry.

170McAuley, p. 12.

171Tourtillot, p. 220.

172

World Book Encyclopedia, 1966 ed. S. V. "Bloomer, Amelia, p. 329.

173Eells, p. 119.

174Ketcham, p. 264.

175

Ibid., p. 263.

175Cecelia Adams, p. 289.

Donner, p. 562.

178

Carpenter, p. 130.

Burrel, p. 16.

180u

Hanna, p. 15.

165

Frink, p. 84.

182

C. M. Drury, First White Women over the Rockies (Glendale, California:
The Arthur H. Clark Company, 19'FTJT TTlW.

183Helen Clark, p. 8.

184

Mary E. Parkhurst Warner, June 20 entry.

185- .

Cooke, p. 66.

186Ibid., p. 24.

187„ . .

McAuley, p. 1.

188

Sawyer, May 23 entry.

189

Helen Clark, p. 15.

Ibid., p. 36.

191Ward, p. 58.

192

Mary E. Parkhurst Warner, April 13 entry.

193

Carpenter, p. 111.

194

Smith, p. 93.

195Cooke, p. 17, 49.

196D

Pengra, p. 31.

197

Hines, p. 82.

198

Mary E. Parkhurst Warner, June 11 entry.

199

Ketcham, p. 252.

200Bailey, p. 61.

201Walker, p. 81.

202

Whitman, p. 87.

203Cooke, p. 22.

204

Pengra, p. 40.

205,, ..

Washburn, p. 27.

2°6C ■ u

Frink, p. 78.

207R , ,. • 166

Burrel , p 3.

208Ward, p. 107.

209

Cooke, p. 24.

210

Hines, p. 114.

211.

Pengra, p. 26.

212

Carpenter, p. 104.

Cooke, p. 27.

214

Carpenter, p. 133.

215

In his book Women and Men on the Overland Trail John Mack Faragher states,
"On the other hand, in contrast to men, women were not at liberty to relax."
The women all described leisure time and recreation activities in which they
participated so Mr. Faragher statement is not accurate.

?l fi

Mary Eliza Warner, May 23 entry.

217

Guill , August 19 entry.

218

Harriet Clarke, p. 22.

219Herndon, p. 206.

220

Helen Stewart, p. 25.

221 •

Frizzell, p. 14, 15.

222

Geer, p. 156.

223

Cecelia Adams, p. 223.

224

Fish, June 2 entry.

225

Burrel, p. 12.

226Hester, p. 239.

227

Carpenter, p. 161.

228

Guill , July 19 entry.

Burrel , p 31.

230|/ ,ri

Ward, p. 154.

231

Cooke, p. 12.

232

Ward, p. 163.

233

Norton, p. 23.

167

234

Ward, p. 111.

235_ ,.

Pengra, p. 15.

236Ward, p. 136.

237

Carpenter, -p. 127.

238

Helen Stewart, p. 10.

239

Pengra, p. 24.

240

Ward, p. 26.

241T. .

Ibid., p. 63.

242

Cecelia Adams, p. 291

243

Pengra, p. 25.

244

Ashley, p. 8.

245

Burrel , p. 38.

246

For a more detailed discussion of children's play activities see page 34

of this paper.

Frink, p. 54.

248

Mary E. Parkhurst Warner, May 22 entry.

249

Tourtillot, p. 222.

250Ward, p. 60.

Burrel , p. 11.

252

Griswold, p. 50.

253

Geer, p. 157.

254Helen Stewart, p. 10

255

Agnes Stewart, p. 86.

256McAuley, p. 21.

257Frizzell, p. 23.

258

Mary Eliza Warner, June 10 entry.

259

Ibid., p. 259.

168
This sketch is printed on page 81 in this paper.

251Hadley, p. 21, 22.

262Cooke, p. 26.

Norton, p. 32.

264

Helen STewart, p. 19.

265

Hester, p. 242.

266u .,

Hanna, p. 17.

Herndon, p. 109.

268Smith, p. 88.

269

"*Ward, p. 41.

Belshaw, p. 8.

271Ward, p. 42.

272„ ..

Ashley, p. 5.

27^
JHelen Stewart, p. 8.

274Burrel, p. 38.

275

Walker, p. 100.

276Frizzell, p. 24.

277

Sutton, p. 1.

278Hanna, p. 37.

279

Sawyer, June 23 entry.

280Herndon, p. 1.

281Fisher, p. 100.

282Hines, p. 114, 115.

283, c
Lyman, p. 5.

284Carpenter, p. 95.

285Ward, p. 87.

286Ibid.,.p..l35.

287

288 j

289

290,

291

Ward, p. 111.
bid., p. 112.
Wood, p. 199.
Whitman, p. 47.
Whitman, p. 75.

169

170

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BIBLIOGRAPHY: SECONDARY SOURCES

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JOURNALS, DIARIES, AND LETTERS WRITTEN
BY WOMEN ON THE OREGON TRAIL 1836-1865

BARBARA MACPHERSON BURGESS
B. A., Colorado College, 1959

AN ABSTRACT OF A MASTER'S THESIS
submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Manhattan, Kansas

1984

The journals, diaries, and letters written by 62 women while they
travelled west on the Oregon/California Trail are preserved in libraries in
the United States. The purpose of this paper is to survey these journals,
diaries, and letters written by women on the Trail between 1836 and 1865.

In Chapter One the original women's manuscripts are described. The
writing equipment and the physical conditions surrounding the writers are
reviewed, and the reasons for writing the diaries and journals are considered.

In Chapter Two the trail as seen by the women is described. From the
journals, diaries, and letters a composite picture is drawn of the children,
other emigrants, trail landmarks, fur traders, and Mormons on the trail.

The women's personal experience on the trail is the subject of Chapter
Three. Trip preparation, food health, wagon trail environment, dress,
recreation or leisure, religion, and motives are described.

Speculation about and study of women on the United States frontier and
the women on the overland trail is appropriate when it is based on the facts
contained in these 62 writings. In the 1830s women travelled with the fur trading
caravans, and in their journals they described the mountain men, the Indians, and
the fur trading rendezvous. In the 1840s and 1850s the women chronicled the
emigration to Oregon and California, and their journals, diaries, and letters
help make that chapter in history complete. In the 1850s the women documented the
gold rush, and in the 1860s the women described the new settlements and forts
which were built along the great trail.

The collected literature written by these 62 women journalists on the
trail is an adequate record and a reliable history.

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